Your body weight can tell a lot about your health and your lifestyle. If you're overweight or obese, you most likely take in more calories through food than you burn through physical activity and exercise. This is a serious problem because obesity can lead to serious health problems and chronic illness. The body mass index is a ratio of your height and your body weight that can tell you if your weight is healthy or unhealthy.
Body Mass Index
The body mass index is calculated by first taking your body weight and multiplying it by 703. Divide that number by your height in inches and then divide that answer by your height in inches again. The answer to this calculation will put you in a category of underweight, healthy, overweight, obese, or morbidly obese.
BMI Results
The BMI categories are defined by a range of numbers. Underweight is any BMI number that is below 18.5. If you score in this range, then you need to modify your diet to increase your body weight. A healthy range is from 18.5 to 24.9. This is the most desirable BMI range to be in. If you score over 25.0 up to 29.9, then you're considered overweight. An obese person has a BMI of 30.0 up to 39.9, and a morbidly obese person has a BMI over 40. If you score above 30.0, then you need to talk with your doctor and a dietitian to determine how you can bring your weight into a healthier range.
Health Challenges
If you score too high on your body mass index calculation, then you're at a higher risk for health challenges such as heart disease, sleep apnea, high blood pressure, diabetes, and varicose veins. The Harvard School of Public Health adds that if you lower your body weight to a healthy level, then you can lower your risk of cancers including breast, colon, kidney, pancreas, and esophageal.
Considerations
Losing weight requires proper nutrition, a meal plan that's flexible and adequate physical exercise. To lose weight you have to burn more calories than you take in. You can do this by lowering your intake of calories through diet modification or you can increase the amount you burn by increasing your exercise. It's best to do a little of both and if you stay with it, you can improve your BMI score and your health.
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