Your body fat index, or body mass index (BMI), is a measurement used to determine if your are at a normal weight. The BMI calculation takes into account your height and weight. Checking your BMI is important because being underweight, overweight or obese is linked to multiple medical conditions, including malnutrition, fatigue, heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure and varicose veins. Medline Plus estimates that 300,000 lives could be saved each year if Americans were of normal weight. Although BMI is a useful measurement, it is not always accurate. If you have a higher muscle mass, you will tend to have a higher BMI even though you may have little fat. In this case, you may need to ask your doctor about body composition analysis to correctly determine your fat percentage.
Underweight
To calculate your BMI, divide your weight in pounds by your height in inches squared and multiply by 703. If you choose to use the metric system, divide your weight in kilograms by your height in meters squared. If your BMI is less than 18.5, you are considered to be underweight. According to the NHS, being underweight is also associated with health problems. Those include a lack of energy, nutritional deficiencies, a weakened immune system, and irregular menstruation if you are a woman. If you are underweight, you should visit your physician to determine the cause of your low BMI and discuss treatment plans to help you gain weight.
Normal Weight
If you have a BMI between 18.5 and 25, you can congratulate yourself because you are of a normal weight. Chances are you eat a well-balanced diet and exercise regularly. If you do not have a healthy diet or good exercise habits, you still may be at an increased risk for medical problems, such as heart disease, diabetes, high cholesterol and high blood pressure.
Overweight
A BMI of 25 to 30 places you in the overweight category, meaning you have too much body weight for your height. Being in the overweight category also means that you are at an increased risk of becoming obese. Therefore, you must realize that now is the time to begin making lifestyle changes to help reduce your BMI to the normal weight category. Start with reducing your portion sizes, so you are eating no more food than what you can fit on a saucer sized plate. In addition, you must adopt a regular exercise program, which includes, at the least, walking for 30 minutes per day, five days per week. Work with your doctor to discuss other possible treatment plans to help you return to your normal weight.
Obese
Obesity is defined as a BMI greater than 30, and a BMI greater than 40 is considered morbidly obese. If you fall in this category, you have too much body fat for your height. Chances are you are eating more food than you should be and are not exercising enough or at all. Obesity may not be fully blamed on lifestyle as genetic factors, certain disorders and medications can contribute to weight gain. Medline Plus states that lower income groups, former smokers, people with chronic mental illness, people with disabilities and people with a sedentary lifestyle are at the greatest risk of becoming obese. Regardless of the reason, you must schedule an appointment with your doctor to design a weight loss program based on your needs. You may start with reducing your portion size and balancing your diet with fruits, vegetables, whole grain, lean meats, legumes and low-fat dairy products. Starting an exercise program will help you burn additional calories to lose weight. Walk for at least 30 minutes per day and consider working out with a friend or spouse, or hiring a personal trainer who can hold you accountable to meeting your exercise goals. Ignoring obesity can lead to serious health problems.
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