Minggu, 24 Agustus 2008

BMI and What it Means to You By Contessa Rodgers

Body Mass Index has been used around the world by doctors, nurses and all other types of healthcare individuals to check to see if you are overweight or obese. In fact recent clinical findings show that almost a quarter of all adults are obese. Obviously, we all know the risks of being obese that we develop heart disease, strokes, diabetes and all manner of other problems like wear and tear on the joints, low self-esteem, depression etc. And, lets be honest, it looks disgusting. We want to be fit and healthy, look good, feel good and enjoy our lives.

So what can BMI or body mass index do for us?

First, we must understand that although BMI does a good job of telling us if a person is obese or overweight, it does not take into account a person's body fat content.

How to calculate BMI Calculating your BMI is done by dividing your weight (measured in kilograms) by your heigh (measured in metres squared) and then classified as follows:
If your BMI is under 18.5, you are considered underweight (so that's none of us reading this, right?!)

If you fall between 18.5 and 25, you are at your ideal weight range - concentrate on toning and firming your muscles, but not necessarily on dieting. Of course, still eat healthily!
Between 25 and 30 BMI is overweight and you should get yourself on a diet and exercise plan. If you have a BMI of between 30 and 40, you are obese and you must do something about your weight.

A BMI of over 40 is very obese and it is critical to lose excess weight or face lifelong health problems.
Times when BMI might be inaccurate are when you are an athlete or very muscular. And obviously if you are pregnant, BMI is never going to be accurate.

Tessa is a mother, housewife and works part time in a charity shop. If you want to lose weight after pregnancy, visit my weight loss web page!
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