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Body Mass Index By DAN STRAYTON Judy, Mt. Airy Dear Judy, That is an excellent question. BMI, which stands for Body Mass Index, became popular over the last decade as a simple means of estimating health risk based on body weight. It has two primary benefits – it is easy to measure, particularly when trying to assess a large population of people, and it factors in not only weight but also height when assessing someone’s health risk. While it certainly makes sense to consider the height of an individual when deciding whether or not they are at a healthy weight, BMI still does not factor in what percentage of this weight is fat versus lean tissue nor can it determine how fit someone is based purely on their weight. Because of that, BMI is simply considered a screening tool rather than a true diagnostic tool. If someone has a high BMI then a physician may consider that a “red flag” and want to look at physical activity levels, body fat percentage, diet and other risk factors to better determine a patient’s overall health status. BMI is not intended to fully determine if someone is unhealthy or at risk for disease but is intended to be a quick, simple and inexpensive starting point for physicians and the general public. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has a good deal of BMI information on its website www.cdc.gov. BMI is calculated by taking your weight in kilograms and dividing it by your height in meters squared. So, for example, at 5’7” and 170 pounds, my BMI calculation would be 77.27kg/2.897m and equal 26.7. While I would certainly not consider myself overweight, a traditional BMI chart would. Most charts list BMIs between 25 and 30 “overweight” and anything over 30 “obese”. I have seen some charts that take it a step further and factor in waist size along with BMI. So, for example, if my BMI is between 25-29 but my waist size is below 40 inches then I may be okay. However, if my waist size were over 40 inches, I would be considered at a moderate risk for disease (heart disease, diabetes, etc.). To calculate your own BMI without the complicated math, you can visit the CDC website or go to myhealthunlimited.com and use our calculator there. While bodyweight is only one piece of the health puzzle (physical activity, nutrition and other healthy habits play key roles as well), it is a simple measurement anyone can monitor on a regular basis. Regular tracking of your weight can motivate you to stick with your exercise program or eating plan and give you a clear goal to work towards. Clear, specific goals (e.g. I want to weigh 140 pounds) are better than more vague objectives like “I will eat better” or “I will exercise more”. As long as you recognize that proper nutrition and regular exercise are just as important as the number on the scale, you can use weight and BMI as monitoring tools for yourself. As with most things in life, moderation works well when it comes to your healthy habits. Too much or too little exercise, too much or too little food, too much or too little sunlight, too much or too little bodyweight – it is a balancing act each day to get the healthy things we need in the quantities we need them. A BMI that is too high can be bad but so can a BMI that is exceedingly low. Keep your bodyweight in check, stay active, eat with a focus on healthy nutrition, don’t smoke, protect yourself when in the sun and get regular check-ups – along with BMI, these are the things that will determine your long term health. Next time, we’ll look at some simple tests you can do to gauge and track your fitness level as well. Good luck and keep moving! [Dan Strayton, general manager at Health Unlimited on Century Drive in Mt. Airy, holds a master's degree in exercise physiology and would be happy to answer any questions you may have about exercise, health and fitness. Write to him in care of the Mt. Airy Messenger, P.O. Box 897, Mt. Airy, MD 21771 0897; or send e-mail to dans@myhealthunlimited.com.] |
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