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BMI calculator: What is a healthy BMI? How do you work out your BMI?

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The medical field is full of complex and confusing terms. Many of these — like body mass index, for instance, you may have come across ever so often in the news or at a doctor’s appointment. BMI or ‘body mass index’ has to do with your weight and height, but what does it really represent and how seriously must it be taken into consideration for you and your family members? The following can be looked at as a comprehensive guide to BMI. In the following article, you will learn what is a healthy BMI, BMI charts, BMI categories, what is high BMI & Low BMI, among other things.

What is BMI calculator?

BMI calculator is a mean of estimating what your body mass index is by looking at your weight and height. But what is the definition of BMI to begin with? BMI has been a traditional means of measuring body weight, and most medical professions employ it to categorize individuals as having a normal weight, being underweight, overweight, or obese. Using the BMI approach by calculating the BMI of a population through a survey, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has estimated that, in the year 2008, around one-third of Americans were obese.

Hence, your BMI can be tied to health risks and outcomes. The development of certain diseases is a lot more common when one’s BMI does not fall under the range that is considered normal. However, keep in mind that one’s BMI can never be used to diagnose health conditions or a means of defining one’s body fat levels. The reality is that, with high or low BMI levels, your physician will then further test you. With additional screenings, a clearer picture of your health condition will emerge. For instance, high blood pressure or high cholesterol screenings can reveal if your BMI being in the overweight category is a serious issue for your health.

What’s a Healthy BMI and How to calculate it?

BMI is represented through a single number that is classed in categories as being underweight, normal, overweight, or obese. The scaling is as follows:

• Any number below 18.5: underweight

• Any number between18.5 to 24.9: normal

• Any number between 25 to 29.9: overweight

• Any number over 30: obese

The cut-offs for BMI are the same regardless of one’s age and gender, but there are some key differences. In general, women of all ages usually have higher boy fat percentages when compared to men of the same age. The older we get, the more likely we are to carry body fat and drop in muscle content. To really figure out where your BMI stands against your height and weight, you can always look at BMI charts and BMI categories easily available online.

How high BMI & low BMI affects disease risk and longevity

The relationship between your risk for disease and early death and your BMI has mixed studies, with many indicating that a BMI that is higher can be responsible for developing negative health outcomes while also dampening your chances of survival. In some studies, BMI correlates with obesity-related conditions, and authorities from the Academy of nutrition and dietetics claim it can increase the risk of ailments like gallbladder disease, heart disease, arthritis, cancer, type 2 diabetes, depression, sleep apnea, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.

A body that is higher than normal and usually involves storing excess fat on the body, is usually a common cause for body systems malfunctioning. In fact, an overproduction of blood glucose, plaque in one’s arteries, hormones, and stress of one’s organs and bones, are the direct result of being overweight. As a result of being overwhelmed, the body does its best to balance itself out. For some people, a delay in the onset of age-related diseases is likely due to their genetics.

The protective effect of a higher BMI on survival is quite counterintuitive but has been observed in longitudinal studies. Some research indicates that, in case you are hospitalized for having a chronic condition such as cancer, or heart disease, then having a higher BMI may have a much more protective effect. In scientific circles, this phenomenon is known as the “obesity paradox.” This phenomenon could be explained by the fact that the extra muscle and weight on the body can compensate for the severe loss of weight and muscle mass when one is struggling with a serious illness, thereby speeding up one’s recovery.

Conclusion

In case you struggle with a high BMI and are looking to lose weight, there are many practices you can incorporate into your lifestyle. To lower your BMI, ensure you make smarter food choices. Choose high fibre foods like fruits and vegetables over calorically dense, processed foods. Incorporate regular exercise into your lifestyle, and ensure you are enjoying your workouts so you are consistent with them. Sleep enough and aim for waking up energized, while also managing stress levels through de-stressing activities.

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