The WORLD we live in is currently in the midst of an OBESITY PANDEMIC, wherever you find yourself on PLANET EARTH, you definitely don’t want to be a STATISTIC in this regard! In our bid to curb this pandemic, there is the need to raise public awareness globally, of the health risks associated with obesity.
Body Mass Index
Body Mass Index (BMI) is a useful numerical indicator of body fat, based on an individual’s weight and height.
Normally expressed in units of kg/m²
This estimate is used to determine whether one is a healthy weight for their height, thereby serving as a means of identifying any weight problems and their associated health risks.
Overweight And Obesity Health Risks
Albeit certain diseases have been associated with being over or under-weight, one may not develop them within their lifetime, but will be more susceptible to them than others who have maintained their ideal weight.
Being overweight or obese are risk factors for health issues such as:
- High Blood Pressure
- Coronary Heart Disease
- Type 2 Diabetes
- High Cholesterol Levels
- Gallbladder Disease
- Sleep Apnea
- Obesity Hypoventilation Syndrome
- Infertility and menstrual issues in women
- Some Cancers
Are you a healthy weight for your height? You may want to use the tool below to check your body mass index.
Body Mass Index Classification Charts
The charts below show adult BMI classification and normal weight for the various age ranges.
|BODY MASS INDEX|
|Less than 18.5||Underweight|
|Less than 16.00||Severe Thinness|
|16.00 – 16.99||Moderate Thinness|
|17.00 – 18.49||Mild Thinness|
|18.5 – 24.99||Normal Range|
|25.00 and above||Overweight|
|25.00 – 29.99||Pre-Obese|
|30.00 and above||Obese|
|30.00 – 34.99||Obesity Class I|
|35 – 39.99||Obesity Class II|
|40.00 and above||Obesity Class III|
WHO BMI Classification System For Adults
|AGE||BODY MASS INDEX|
|19 – 24 yrs||19 – 24|
|25 – 34 yrs||20 – 25|
|35 – 44 yrs||21 – 26|
|45 – 54 yrs||22 – 27|
|55 – 64 yrs||23 – 28|
|Above 65 yrs||24 – 29|
Adapted from National Research Council 1989
It is worth noting that BMI is not all-encompassing and does have some limitations as indicated below:
- BMI does not factor in an individual’s age, sex, lifestyle etc.
- Waist circumference when considered in BMI calculation helps draw a more accurate conclusion.
- Body fat may be overestimated in athletes and individuals who have a muscular build.
- Body fat may be underestimated in older persons and other individuals who have lost muscle mass. Individuals who are mesomorphic tend to have higher BMI numbers than those who are endomorphic. This is due to the fact that the former have a greater bone mass and greater muscle mass, than endomorphic individuals do.
Thus, BMI is a rough indicator or an estimation of weight status rather than a certainty in itself. It is used in different applications as it seeks to help improve health outlook and to guide individuals in their bid to maintain a healthy lifestyle.
Do you have your BMI in the palm of your hands?… you have he power to control it.
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