Do You Know Your Body Mass index?

For some, the need to lose weight is clear. Those whose body weight places them into
the obese or morbidly obese categories are well aware that they are carrying too many
pounds. But what about the borderline overweight? Is that ten pounds over the ideal
weight raising your risk of health complications? Are you just 'big-boned'? How do you
decide if you really need to lose weight - and how much you need to lose?
Doctors have a number of different ways to measure the need to lose weight. Long gone
are the years when they relied on an insurance company chart of 'ideal weights'. The
most commonly used measure is the Body Mass Index (BMI). The BMI measures your
weight relative to your height. It is generally an accurate representation of muscle-to-fat
ratio, though there are some limitations.
1. It may overestimate the BMI of an athletic person, because muscle is denser and
weighs more than fat.
2. It may underestimate the BMI of an older person, or others who have low muscle
mass.
There are many BMI calculators available online that will allow you to check your own
BMI. The table for determining risk factors associated with obesity is:
Below 18.5 - Underweight
18.5 - 24.9 - Normal
25.0 - 29.9 - Overweight
30.0 and up - Obese
If your BMI is above 25.0, your doctor or other medical professional can advise you on the
best weight loss plan for you. You should know that there are great benefits to losing
even a moderate amount of weight. Some of those include:
* Lowering your risk of diabetes. According to the American Diabetes Association, a
weight loss of as little as 10 pounds can decrease the chances of pre-diabetes developing
into diabetes by 58%.
* Lower your risk of heart disease. The American Heart Association states that coronary
problems are directly correlated to weight. By losing weight to bring your BMI to within
normal ranges, you significantly lower your risk of developing heart problems.
* Reduce your risk of arthritis and pain from arthritis. A number of forms of arthritis are
related to weight. Losing weight substantially decreases the strain that additional weight
places you your knees, hips, back and ankles.
Are you motivated to get started? Here are three ways that you can start losing weight
today:
Get active.
If you do nothing different in your life but exercise for one half hour daily, you will lose 5-
7% of your body weight per year.
Cut out white breads and sugars.
Substitute whole grains for refined flours and sugars, and you'll automatically reduce the
number of calories that you consume daily.
Eat more fresh vegetables.
Fresh vegetables, especially raw, are a significant source of many of the vitamins and
minerals that your body needs daily. They're high in nutrition, while low in calories. By
increasing the amount of fresh vegetables that you eat and reducing the amount of
processed, refined foods, you'll cut calories and carbohydrates significantly.