Using the BMI to calculate your weight range

There are two easy methods to determine whether or not a person is within a health weight range. These methods are not exact and by no means definitive. They do serve as a very useful guideline and can let you know if you should be seeking further weight loss advice.

BMI

Body Mass Index, commonly abbreviated to BMI is calculated from your height and weight using a mathematical formula. It is an easy way for doctors to assess how overweight or obese a patient is. BMI = weight in kg / height in metres 2

Risk of Associated Disease According to BMI and Waist Size
BMI		Waist less than or equal to 40 in. (men) or 35 in. (women)	Waist greater than 40 in. (men) or 35 in. (women)
18.5 or less	Underweight	--	N/A
18.5 - 24.9	Normal	--	N/A
25.0 - 29.9	Overweight	Increased	High
30.0 - 34.9	Obese	High	Very High
35.0 - 39.9	Obese	Very High	Very High
40 or greater	Extremely Obese	Extremely High	Extremely High

BMI is a good way of assessing body fat levels for the average person. One should bear in mind that it is just an average and does not take into account muscle mass. This means that the BMI for muscular people is an overestimate of their body fat. Conversely, for the elderly and other groups who have less muscle, the calculation may underestimate the true BMI.

Waist Size

Another way of assessing obesity is to measure your waist size. Coronary heart disease is known to be associated with a large waist size, which indicates an accumulation of fat in the central region of the body.

Of course, the right size waist depends a lot on what type of figure you have and whether youre tall or petite, apple shaped or pear shaped. When most people put on weight, the fat is stored around the hips (pear shaped) or the middle (apple shaped). If youre overweight and apple shaped you are at higher risk of health problems than if youre overweight and pear shaped.

If you measure your waist around the top of your hips youll find out your waist circumference. If this is over 37 inches / 94 cms (for the average adult man) or over 32 inches / 81cms (for the average adult woman) youre at a higher risk of health problems.

How to measure your waist

Find the bottom of your ribs and the top of your hips and measure in the middle. For most people this is where their tummy button is.

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