Measuring Overweight
Being physically and mentally fit is a common goal for everyone.Overweight can lead to high blood pressure, elevated blood cholesterol, arthritis, diabetes etc. we should therefore maintain an ideal weight, according to our body structure.
Body fat percentage is a description of how much of your overall mass is composed of fat (body fat vs. lean body mass, the latter including blood, fluids, bone, muscle, etc.).
Body Mass Index is an established system to judge people's obesity, a mathematical formula that uses your weight and height information to calculate your body mass. Note that it does not determine your actual body fat percentage, however. Body fat is exceedingly difficult to measure, as the most accurate method involves weighing a person underwater. As a result, BMI is simply the most practical standardized way to evaluate weight.
Your BMI is your body weight in kilograms is divided by the square of your height in meters ([weight in kg] ÷ [height in meters]2). The resulting number generally indicates the extent of one's obesity as well as the degree of risk for weight-related complications.
If you are overweight, eliminating excess body fat will have a dramatic positive impact on your health and energy level.If you carry that weight primarily above the belt, in the stomach and midsection and if you want to maintain your health, it is important that you learn what’s going on in your body and get started on a permanent weight reduction program.
According to the most popular scheme, you are :
- SLIM if your BMI is below 20.
- in the ideal weight range if between 20 and 25.
- slightly overweight between 25 and 30.
- OVERWEIGHT if over 30.
BMI is a good guide for most people to determine health risk. Even a 5% reduction from your current weight is beneficial to your health. If your BMI number is more than 1-2 points above your "ideal" range it's certain you will benefit greatly by losing weight and eliminating excess body fat. For instance, a 5'2" female who weighs 150 pounds (BMI=27), can improve her health by losing as little as seven pounds, reducing her BMI to 26.
Increased body mass index is associated with increased risks of Coronary Heart disease. Compared with lean men, men with BMI of 25-29 have been observed to have a 70% greater risk of CHD whereas men with BMI of 29-33 had almost a 3 fold greater risk of CHD.
Usually when we refer to BMI readings we should not include the following groups:
- Children and teens, because BMI ranges are based on adult heights
- Competitive athletes and bodybuilders, because heavier muscle weight skews the results and lean body mass is not a health risk.
- Pregnant or nursing women, because they need more fat reserves than usual
- People over 65, because even BMI values of 29 do not appear to be unhealthy at this age, and may even be a useful energy reserve in case of illness.
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