One of the problems faced by many people is the lack of awareness about the various components of weight loss. The first step in your weight loss effort is to calculate your body mass index, abbreviated BMI. If your BMI is above 30 then you need to lose weight to prevent various diseases.
Body mass index (BMI) is a number calculated from a person’s weight and height. BMI is a reliable indicator of body fatness for people. BMI does not directly measure body fat, but research has shown that BMI is related to direct measures of body fat. BMI can be considered a substitute for direct measurement of body fat. Additionally, BMI is an inexpensive and easy way of screening for weight categories that may cause health problems.
Other methods of measuring body fatness include skinfold thickness measurement (with calipers), underwater weighing, bioelectrical impedance, dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA), and computerized tomography. However, these methods are not always readily available, and they are either expensive or require highly trained personnel.
How do you calculate your BMI:
1. To find your Body Mass Index (BMI) gather some household items: your bathroom scale; a scale; A pencil and paper and calculator.
2. Weigh yourself on your bathroom scale. (The following formula is calculated in pounds.)
3. Measure your height in inches using the ruler.
4. Use pencil, paper and a calculator to do the following BMI calculations.
5. Take your height in inches and square the number (i.e. multiply the number of inches by the same number of inches).
6. Divide your weight in pounds by the second figure (your height in inches squared).
7. Multiply that answer by 703. The answer is your body mass index.
8. Measure your personal BMI result against the following scale:
o A BMI less than 18 means you are underweight.
o A BMI less than 18.5 indicates that you are thin for your height.
A BMI between 18.6 and 24.9 indicates that you are at a healthy weight.
o A BMI between 25 and 29.9 indicates that you are overweight for your height.
o A BMI of 30 or more indicates obesity. If you are obese, consult a doctor or try to lose weight.
How reliable is BMI as an indicator of body fatness?
The association between BMI numbers and body fatness is quite strong; However, the correlation varies by gender, race, and age. Examples of these variations include the following:
* At the same time, women have more body fat than men in BMI.
*At the same BMI, older people have more body fat on average than younger adults.
* Highly trained athletes may have a higher BMI because of an increase in muscle mass rather than an increase in body fat.
It is also important to remember that BMI is only one factor related to disease risk. To assess someone’s likelihood of developing diseases related to overweight or obesity, 2 other factors are important:
* Waist circumference of the individual (as abdominal fat is a predictor of risk of obesity-related diseases).
* Other risk factors the person has for diseases and conditions associated with obesity (for example, high blood pressure or physical inactivity).
If an athlete or other person with a lot of muscle mass has a BMI greater than 25, is that person still considered overweight?
According to BMI weight status categories, anyone with a BMI over 25 would be classified as overweight and anyone with a BMI over 30 would be classified as obese.
However, it is important to remember that BMI is not a direct measurement of body fatness and BMI is calculated from a person’s weight which includes both muscle and fat. As a result, some individuals may have a high BMI but not a high percentage of body fat. For example, highly trained athletes may have a higher BMI due to an increase in muscle mass rather than an increase in body fat. Although some people may not be overweight in the BMI overweight range (from 25.0 to 29.9), most people with a BMI in the obese range (greater than or equal to 30) will have increased levels of body fatness.
Do You Need to Lose Weight?
If you are an adult and your BMI is 30 or higher, you need to lose weight regardless of your waist measurement. Also if your BMI is high waist measurement between 25 to 30 then you also need to lose weight. What is the best way to lose weight fast?
Dietary changes and increased physical activity are the main ways to lose weight. Medicines and surgery are reserved for people who are extremely obese or who already have complications of obesity. Both of these methods have significant side effects,
A 30-minute brisk walk helps in weight loss apart from providing other health benefits. You can lose an extra half pound per week. Though beneficial and recommended not all can do it.
Dietary changes thus form the core therapy for you to lose weight. Low carb, low fat or starvation diets don’t work or are plain bad for you. Prepackaged diet programs are not only bad but also expensive. The best way to lose weight quickly is to have a diet program that is easy to follow for everyone who needs it, that doesn’t leave you hungry and unsatisfied, that helps you lose weight quickly. Helps, whose flexible plan allows you to have 1000’s of different diet combinations.
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Source by Rajesh Sadanand
