BMI, or body mass index, is an indirect measurement of the amount of fat in a person's body. A high BMI predicts the development of several diseases, including type 2 diabetes. Type 2 diabetes is a serious condition, because it can lead to complications such as kidney failure and heart disease. Not everyone with a high BMI, however, is at risk of developing type 2 diabetes. If you are concerned about your risk, speak to your doctor.
Calculating BMI
Your BMI, or body mass index, is calculated by dividing your weight in kilograms by your squared height in meters. BMI is an indirect measure of total body fat that correlates well to the traditional, more difficult measurements of body fat (for example, underwater weighing). A BMI of less than 18.5 is considered underweight, while a BMI of 25 or over is considered overweight.
Interpreting the BMI
The BMI is used as a screening tool, since high BMIs may predict the development of a number of obesity-related diseases, including high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease and diabetes, while low BMIs may suggest anorexia or malnourishment. A BMI measurement, however, is not diagnostic. For example, an athlete with very little fat, but a lot of muscle, may still have a BMI of over 25. The BMI is rather one measure of health, which combined with other measures paints a picture of how "healthy" that person is.
Diabetes
There are two major types of diabetes: Type 1 occurs when your body does not produce enough insulin and is usually diagnosed in children and young adults. Type 2 occurs when your body is unable to respond to the insulin you produce. Later in the course of type 2 diabetes, your body may also become unable to produce insulin. Type 2 is typically diagnosed in adults. Risk factors for type 2 diabetes include older age, high cholesterol and obesity. Diabetes is a serious disease, since it can lead to kidney failure, blindness or a variety of cardiovascular complications, including stroke and heart attack. It can also be fatal.
Relationship between BMI and diabetes
People with a BMI of 25 or greater are clearly at increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes, compared to people with a BMI of less than 25, and in fact, increased risk of type 2 diabetes may begin increasing by as much as 25 percent for every kg/m2 increase beyond 22. Additionally, increased risk is relatively independent of activity level. That is, even if a person with an elevated BMI is active, they are still at significantly increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
Testing and treatment
If you are concerned about your BMI, you can calculate it yourself using the formula above. If your BMI is elevated, you should talk to your doctor about measures you can take to reduce it. Such measures usually include eating healthier and exercising more. If you are concerned that you might have type 2 diabetes, your doctor can test you for this as well. If you have type 2 diabetes, treatment usually involves some measure of eating healthier, exercising more and, in some cases, insulin therapy.
