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Most medical professionals will tell you that being overweight is unhealthy. A long list of ailments occur more commonly in those who are overweight or obese, compared to their peers with a normal body weight. These ailments include high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, diabetes, arthritis, gallstones, liver disease, irregular periods, infertility and colon and breast cancer. Body mass index, or BMI, is a calculated value that is used to distinguish between healthy and unhealthy body weight.
BMI AND HEIGHT
Have you ever stopped to think that the word "overweight" means different things to different people? For instance, a 5-foot-4-inch woman is be considered overweight at 160 pounds, while a 6-foot-2-inch man is on the thin side at 160 pounds. How do you know what's the ideal weight for you? One way is to put everything on the same scale by adjusting for height. This can be done using the BMI calculation. Overall, BMI is a more accurate reflection of body fat than height-weight tables.
BODY COMPOSITION AND BMI
Health care professionals use BMI to assess whether you are underweight, normal weight, overweight or obese. The BMI does a good job of describing normal weight for any given height and, on average, reflects the relative amount of fat in the body. The BMI, however, has limitations because it cannot differentiate between people who weigh a lot because of body fat versus an exceptionally muscular build. In other words, BMI overestimates body fat in people who are very muscular, such as bodybuilders and other highly-muscled athletes. High BMIs in pregnant or breastfeeding women and people under 5 feet also may not reflect "fatness." Thus, you should use BMI in conjunction with other body-composition assessments.
BMI CALCULATION
To manually calculate your BMI, divide your body weight in pounds by your height in inches squared, then multiply by 703. For example, if you weigh 200 pounds and are 5 feet tall, the calculation would be: 200/3600 x 703 = 39.1. In this example, the BMI is 39.1.
BMI INTERPRETATION
Your body weight is considered normal if your BMI is 18.5 to 24.9. You are typically considered underweight if your BMI is less than 18.5. A BMI of 25.0 to 29.9 usually means you are overweight. A BMI of 30.0 or greater is consistent with obesity.
If your BMI is in the normal range, that's great. If your BMI falls outside of the normal range, talk with your health care provider about whether you need to make adjustments in your diet and lifestyle.
References
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; Assessing Your Weight; August 2011
- National Heart Lung and Blood Institute: Assessing Your Weight and Health Risk
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; The Health Effects of Overweight and Obesity; August 2011
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; About BMI for Adults; September 2011
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