Body Mass Index and Obesity: Getting on the Right Track

The American Obesity Association has some grave news: approximately 127 million adults in the U.S. are overweight and 60 million are obese.

Health Problems with Obesity

The American Surgeon General warns that, “The primary concern of overweight and obesity is one of health and not appearance.” The Surgeon General lists obesity’s health concerns as:

Premature Death– An estimated 300,000 deaths per year may be attributable to obesity.

• Heart disease
• Diabetes
• Cancer
• Sleep apnea and asthma.
• Arthritis
• Complications of pregnancy
• Gall bladder disease
• Incontinence
• Depression

Depressing news indeed…unless of course we try to tackle this epidemic head-on. One basic but important tool and first step to help raise awareness about the health risks of obesity is knowing your Body Mass Index (BMI)

BMI and Obesity: Knowing Where You are At…

Body Mass Index (BMI) is the standard that health professionals use to determine a person’s weight category from severely underweight to severely obese. And it’s a simple way for you to determine whether you’re at a healthy weight.

Your Body Mass Index is calculated by taking your weight in kilograms, and dividing by the square of your height in meters. But, if you’d rather have someone else do the math, use this free BMI calculator.

Here’s a BMI chart based on studies by the National Center for Health Statistics. It gives you an idea of how Body Mass Index values are categorized.

BMI VALUE CATEGORY
18.5 to 24.9 Healthy
25.0 to 29.9 Overweight
30.0 to 39.9 Obesity
40.0 and greater Extreme Obesity

Your best chance for living a long and healthy life is to keep your Body Mass Index within the Healthy range. If you are overweight now, you may want to consider a weight management program to help you return to a healthy Body Mass Index.

The numerous health problems associated with obesity are a tough pill to take. To determine whether you have a healthy Body Mass Index, take advantage of this free BMI calculator. Or, for more information on healthy weight management, click here.