Things You Ought To Know About Your health

MY BODY MASS INDEX (BMI)

One of the secrets to a good and healthy lifestyle is knowing your body mass index. Body mass index (BMI) is a statistical measure of your weight scaled according to your height. 

Body mass index is a relatively new term on the American diet scene. It has, though, been around for some time. Lambert Adolphe Jacques Quetelet who lived from 1796 to 1854 created the idea of the body mass index. This Belgian mathematician was famous both in his time and ours for implementing systems of numbers, which could actually help our lives. It was originally called the Quetelet Index. Doctors and researchers now suggest that this is the best way to calculate obesity and overweight numbers in the most accurate fashion. It is a simple index of weight-for-height and is widely used by medical, health and fitness professionals to classify underweight, overweight and obesity in adults.

  BMI is a useful tool and for most individuals is an accurate way to

classify weight, but it should be used along with other measurements as it does have limitations. However, you can calculate their BMI without the use of expensive equipment or special knowledge.

How to calculate your BMI.......

The B M I, though, is a bit confusing to most people, because for many, it seems like one more number that they must pay attention to. Essentially, a person’s Body mass index is a ratio. It takes into account both the height and the weight of an individual. This tells doctors and researchers how much fat the person’s body carries inside.

 

 

BMI is calculated by dividing weight (in kilograms) by height (in meters) squared. The World Health Organization defines overweight as a BMI of 25.0 to 29.9 and obesity as a BMI greater than 30. A BMI value of 19.5 to 24.9 is considered normal, and less than 18.5 is defined as underweight.

Simply divide your body weight in kilograms with your height in meters squared.

GENERAL RULE: In order to be considered healthy by the scientific community, your B M I must fall between 18.5 and 25.

Above 25 but less than 29.9------- OVERWEIGHT

Above 30 but less than 39.9-------OBESSE

Above 40-----------------------------EXTREMELY OBESSE

Uses of BMI

Though BMI has limitations, it is an important measurement tool. It's an rough indicator of current health status and disease risk, based upon weight and degree of obesity. The American Cancer Institute says an abnormal BMI (overweight) in women with breast cancer is associated with lower survival rates; and according to the American Heart Association, as BMI during childhood climbs, so does the risk of coronary heart disease in adulthood. Additionally, as BMI rises above 25, both blood pressure and cholesterol increase while high-density lipoprotein (HDL) or "good" cholesterol decreases.