What is BMI (Body Mass Index)

Comparison of weight and the height

Do you want to know is your body adequately build...?. Sure most of the people concern of their built of the body. Because it is a good indicator of a health of a person. Also it will shows the musculature and the shape of the body. Therefore in the current days it is used as a indicator of determining health of a person which is known as "Body Mass Index". The body mass index is the ration of the weight and the square of height of a person. 

How to determine the body mass of a person.

Now a days, there are different number of body mass index calculators available. Also you can use body mass tables for the determination of your body mass. However, you can even use the manual method of calculation of body mass index as follow.
           

                              BMI = your weight (in kg) 

                            your height² (in m²)

The value of the BMI can be get by Kg m^-2  when you enter the weight in Kg and height in m² . Therefore use proper units for the calculation.

What is the importance of the BMI calculations.

 After calculating the BMI, you can see a value which may indicates whether your weight is Under weight, Average,  Over weight or Obese. From that you can get a idea of a weight of the body, health risks, effective changes of the diet. Even though the values for adult BMI levels may vary according to the region, they indicates the same risk and other concerns.

Following are the WHO accepted BMI ranges for world wide

According to the WHO status about BMI there are number of sub groups. However here we only concern on the main groups of BMI.

                                                                                   

Classification	BMI range
Underweight	<18.50
Average weight	18.50 - 24.99
Overweight	25.00 - 29.99
Obese	30.00<

  

What are the risks associated with the Underweight on BMI

Underweight means your weight is less than a average person. Therefore it may indicate the lack of your body weight according to the height. Even though it may indicated curtain malnutrition status, it may be genetically related condition or even normal. However if you are underweight you are in a risk of curtain diseases like following

• Inflection
• Infertility
• Lack of tolerance
• Obstetric complications 

Therefore if you are a person with under weight status, you have to concern more on your diet. This may not only the amount of calories or energy, but also adequate amount of macro and micro-nutrients. Preparation of balance diet is very important here. Other very important thing is reduction of extreme exercise.

What is the risks associate with the average people on BMI

Average for BMI is a indicator of adequate amount of weight related to the height of you. Therefore you are in the well protected area. However, even if you are in a less risk of getting diet and heart related diseases, it does not mean you are totally protected from them. Therefore you also have to keep you BMI in the average though out your life.

What is the risks associated with the overweight people on BMI

You are having more than the average amount of weight. But your are not susceptible for disease conditions as much as obese persons. You can improve your health and the quality of life by the adequate diet control and the exercise.

What is the risk associated with the obese people on BMI

 The obese people are the most susceptible and risk group in this classification. As they have more than average they are more than average risk of diseases and their complication. This may be due to your sedentary life style, lack of exercise, excessive energy intake like reasons.

These people have risk of having following conditions

• Diabetes  melitus
• Hypertension
• Coronary artery syndrome
• Strokes
• Dyslipidaemia
• Metabolic syndrome
• Obstetric complication like Gestational Diabetes
• Arthritis
• Gall bladder disease like stones and carcinoma

These people have to concern more on their diet, exercise, life pattern, with the help of a doctor. Unless they have to end up with significant morbidity and moralities.

At last BMI is not a totally correct method of assessing the disease risks. But it is correct in the most of the time. Therefore you have to concern on it lot. However if you are a very muscular person you are lack of risk in these even if you may show as a overweight or the obese. Also this may bit vary according to the ethnicity. As an example the Asian population have different scheme of BMI values. Also in the childhood you may have to refer different ranges according to the age, even though in adult it is not used.

 The BMI Range for pregnancy

 

When it comes to the BMI in pregnancy, we cant completely go with the normal BMI for general population. We have to use a BMI for pregnant mother at her booking visit. The reason behind this is the daily weight gaining of pregnancy. Then when you calculate the normal weight gain during pregnancy for a mother, you have to know the BMI at booking visit.




Reference
WHO : BMI status
BMI table - Global Database on Body Mass Index. WHO. 2006.