The Bmi For Severe Obesity

BMI, or body mass index, is one of a number of indicators to describe your body composition. Derived from measurements of your height and weight, BMI is used to help classify your level of disease risk. According to the National Institutes of Health, severe or extreme obesity is reflected by a BMI of 40 or greater and is associated with increased risk for many diseases.

Calculating the BMI

To calculate your BMI, measure your height and weight. Divide your weight, in pounds, by the square of your height, in inches. Then, multiply the result of the calculated value by 703 to arrive at your BMI value. For example, if you're 5 feet tall -- or 60 inches -- and weigh 205 lbs. your BMI is 40. You can also use online BMI calculators to do the math.

BMI and Weight Status

If your BMI falls above a value of 25, you are considered to be overweight. At this level of BMI, your health risks begin to increase. BMI values between 30 and 35 would place you in the medical category of clinical obesity while a BMI of 40 or more would indicate extreme, or severe, obesity.

BMI and Health Risk

According to the American Medical Association, specific disease risks that are increased with BMI measurements in the obese and severely obese ranges include hypertension, coronary artery disease, Type 2 diabetes, asthma, and colon, breast and uterine cancer.

Lowering Your BMI

If your BMI falls into the severely obese category, you should seek medical advice about beginning a weight-loss program. A well-designed program for reducing your BMI may include both dietary and exercise components as well as surgical or pharmaceutical treatments. Be aware that, although BMI is a valuable and widely used diagnostic tool, there are circumstances in which you might have a false indication of severe obesity, for example, in well trained individuals with high levels of muscle mass and bone density, BMI may sometimes fall into the obese or severely obese categories.