Kimberly Scott October 20, 2008

Category:Health/Fitness

Healthy Weight

Body Mass Index (BMI) is a number based on your body weight and height that is calculated to indicate how much your weight affects your risks for health related problems (showing what range of obesity you fall into).

The same chart applies to both men and women and does not measure body fat directly and age is irrelevant in adults. More height equals to allowance for higher weights because of body frame and muscle. Those that have higher percentage of body fat usually have a higher BMI even though muscle weights more. Excess body weight put you at a greater risk for health problems, I.E: disease, diabetes, certain cancers, and high blood pressure.

Calculating BMI

1. Multiply your weight in pounds times 703.
2. Divide that answer by height in inches.
3. Divide that by your height in inches again.

This answer will give you your BMI score or you can use a BMI chart.
Healthy range is 18.5 to 24.9 These are more like guidelines and should be watched to stay within this range. Less than this range is too thin (Unhealthy weight for height size) But some people can still fit into this category and still have more body fat than muscle. I.E- Elderly people who have lost muscle mass. It doesn’t then mean that you could truly be healthy.
If your BMI is above 25- It is considered ‘less healthy.’ You should try to avoid any farther weight gain and take steps to take off the weight (body fat) by toning, exercising, and watching what you eat more. If your BMI falls above 30- You are most at risk for health related problems. It is considered the most unhealthy. Also, your BMI can be distorted and seem over weight for someone like a muscle built person who has more than average muscle, muscle does weight more.

Remember, your BMI does not necessarily measure how healthy you may or may not be. There are more like guidelines.. like in the Pirates of the Caribbean movies.

BMI and Waist Size

You can also use your BMI and waist size to farther look at your risk for health related problems.

Classification of Overweight and Obesity by BMI, Waist Circumference, and Associated Disease Risks
			Disease Risk* Relative to Normal Weight and Waist Circumference
	BMI (kg/m2)	Obesity Class	Men 102 cm (40 in) or less Women 88 cm (35 in) or less	Men > 102 cm (40 in) Women > 88 cm (35 in)
Underweight	< 18.5		-	-
Normal	18.5 - 24.9		-	-
Overweight	25.0 - 29.9		Increased	High
Obesity	30.0 - 34.9	I	High	Very High
	35.0 - 39.9	II	Very High	Very High
Extreme Obesity	40.0 +	III	Extremely High	Extremely High

Measuring Body Fat

Some ways of measuring body fat are underwater or hydrostatic weighing, which can get pretty pricey and are hard to find.
Nice cheaper ways include a skinfold caliper, which your local gym can probably do for you or a doctors office. They measure the skin fold fat layer on several parts of your body: Arm, midriff, and thigh. This way isn’t always 100% precise for it doesn’t weight your body fat directly but it can give you a clearer picture up to a 4% off range. And for this indirectly measurement, errors can occur. There are also many different equations used to determine the percentage.

One of the easiest ways in today’s world is to buy a scale that measures body fat. The more expensive the scale, the better the brand name, the more accurate it will probably read. Good body fat scales start around $100. But there are cheaper ones. They are convenient and you can use it in the privacy of your own home.

How Body Fat Scales Work:
Body fat scales use a technique called Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis (BIA). A small and harmless electrical current passes through your body. The electrical current will pass more quickly through fat free tissue like muscle than it does through fat or bone tissue. The amount of resistance to the electrical current corresponds to how much fat-free mass a person has and their body density. The downside- like all body fat tests, body fat scales don’t actually measure your body fat percentage. They determine your body density. It calculates a formula to measure body fat percentage based on body density. These formulas just predict your body fat.

To lose body fat, exercise, body toning, and nutirion are needed.