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(1) Concepts of Obesity

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BMI - Calculating your BMI (Body Mass Index)

BMI

Body Mass Index

 Body Mass Index (BMI), also known as the Quetelet Index, is a measure combining the weight and height of an individual. Body mass index can be calculated by dividing the weight by the square of the height.

Although invented in the mid 1800s by Belgian Adolphe Quetelet, BMI is currently used as a simple clinical tool for health care professionals to determine a patient’s potential risk for disease and call for intervention.

However, BMI has been recently and incorrectly as an “absolute” tool for medical diagnosis and care rather than a suggestive indicator of risk. BMI is used to classify individuals into categories. The most common definitions used clinically in the United States for BMI categories include Underweight (BMI<18.5), Ideal (BMI 18.5–25), Overweight (BMI 25–30), Obese (BMI 30–40) and Morbidly Obese (BMI over 40). According to the U.S. National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey in 1994, 59 percent of American men and 49 percent of women have BMIs over 25 and therefore categorized as either overweight or obese.

BMI categories have important correlations with disease risk. Higher BMI values are associated with cardiovascular disease and higher morbidity and mortality rates for almost any disease. According to some studies, a BMI of 30 and greater translates to an increase risk of death from any cause by 50 to 150 percent. Extremely low BMI values, below the ideal category, may indicate malnutrition or an eating disorder.

Although a correlation may exist, researchers are also quick to acknowledge that BMI is not entirely accurate in predicting the risk of cardiovascular disease and death because it does not distinguish body muscle and fat. However, when used appropriately, categorization of an individual using the BMI can indicate to a healthcare provider that some intervention may be needed.

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