How To Keep A Check On Your BMI

Obesity has come to become a serious medical condition all over the world. At least a third of the population in the world is obese with more on the brink of becoming so. Obesity has been said to be a major cause for diseases such as coronary artery disease, different types of cancers, stroke and osteoarthritis. So, the more obese people there are, the more cases of these diseases would be.

While there are many ways in which obesity can be controlled such as by exercising, managing lifestyle, improving eating habits and food choices, etc., there is a certain basic thing that you can do to keep your weight under check and that is calculate BMI from time to time.

BMI or body mass index is the measure for one’s body’s shape based on the mass and height. It is used in a lot of contexts as a way to determine whether an individual’s body weight is normal or not according to his/her height. BMI for the adults and children is calculated differently. Even though the BMI of children is calculated the way it is for adults, the value is compared with the typical values for children of the same age.

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Today, very few people i.e. almost a negligible number, depend on the mathematical method of calculating BMI because of the easy access to BMI calculators that just takes details of the person’s height and weight and automatically derives BMI with instant results on whether the person is underweight, normal or overweight. To keep yourself from being either underweight or overweight, calculate BMI from time to time.

Benefits of Calculating BMI

• To calculate BMI means to know whether you are healthy or not. The BMI score tells whether one is underweight, normal or overweight. By calculating BMI from time to time, you would be able to keep a close check on your weight and take adequate measures when your weight is climbing up to unhealthy heights.

• Calculate your BMI every few months to prevent the onset of a variety of diseases such as those related to the heart, diabetes, eating disorders, anemia, etc. There are a lot of diseases that a person can either be at high or low risk of developing depending on his/her weight.

• Calculating BMI does not take a lot of effort or special training and can therefore, be done by anyone, be it children or adults. If you know what to do, you’d know your BMI almost instantly.

• To calculate BMI, you do not have to remove any clothing other than just the shoes when you are about to weigh yourself. This makes it ideal for a lot of people who would want to avoid other more invasive ways.

While BMI gives instant results and is a quick snapshot to one’s weight, it does not really give a more personalized result. For a more personalized measure of your body’s fat and lean mass, you will have to visit a doctor.

BMI is however a good initial indicator that can guide to towards a fitter and leaner you. The most important indicator of a bad BMI is your waist circumference, which can be useful for those who are categorized as underweight and over weight in accordance to their BMI.