An unhealthy body weight is an important risk factor in the development of diabetes. Therefore, diabetic patients must watch their diet, exercise habits and weight to help manage their condition. One way to determine whether body weight is within a healthy range is to calculate the body mass index, or BMI.
What Is an Ideal BMI?
The body mass index is a simple calculation that determines whether your weight is healthy for your height. If you are a diabetic patient, you want a BMI between 18.5 and 24.9, which indicates a healthy weight range. Anything above 24.9 is considered unhealthy. In general, a BMI over 30 also indicates that you are at greater risk for health problems such as heart disease, high blood pressure and diabetes.
BMI Calculation
The BMI calculation is performed by first measuring your weight in pounds and your height in inches. You then take your weight and multiply it by 703; that answer is then divided by your height in inches. Divide this answer a second time by your height in inches to get your BMI score. Once your have your BMI score, you then compare your score with the five BMI categories to determine if you are in a healthy range.
Scoring Your BMI
The five BMI categories include underweight, healthy, overweight, obese and morbidly obese. The ranges for underweight include any score below 18.5. You are overweight if your score is between 25.0 and 29.9, you are obese if you score between 30.0 and 39.9 and you are morbidly obese if you score over 40.0. The healthy range is a BMI between 18.5 and 24.9.
Considerations
Diabetes is related to many factors, including your genetics, age, diet, level of physical fitness, ethnicity and body weight. Your body weight and BMI are impacted by your lifestyle, and if your BMI is above 30, talk with your doctor about ways you can lower it. Your doctor will be able to determine whether you can manage your condition with diet and exercise alone or whether you need to include medication.
