Why are BMIs useful ?
Why are BMIs useful?
BMI is a BMI is an inexpensive, simple screening instrument for identifying potential concerns with weight in adults and children. An BMI measure can be important to determine who needs additional testing to determine dangers to health, like heart disease. Individuals at risk will need more evaluation. Tests can include testing the thickness of the skin fold along with diet, physical activity levels, family history and other screenings for health that are appropriate.
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Risks due to extreme BMIs
Being in either the overweight category (with a BMI over 25) or in the weight range of underweight (with a BMI lower than 18.5) can affect your health.
Overweight
People who are overweight or obese are more at risk of developing disease than people who are in normal weight. The risk of getting sick increases when you increase your BMI. The people who are classified as overweight (BMI 25-29.9) can also be considered pre-obese and are at a higher risk of developing disease. In the category 1 of obesity (BMI 30-34.9) There is moderate risk of illness, and this risk rises to severe and severe risk at the stage of obesity 2 (BMI 35-39.9) as well as 3 (BMI >40) and 3 (BMI >=40).
It is crucial to remember that BMI does not define risk by itself. Other elements like what one eats, how much they exercise, and whether or not they have any history of diseases within their family can affect the likelihood of developing a disease. However as a group the obese and overweight are at a higher risk of various diseases.
They are at risk of a high likelihood of:
- Type 2 Diabetes;
- Gall bladder disease;
- Hypertension;
- Dyslipidaemia;
- Insulin Resistance;
- Atherosclerosis;
- Sleep apnoea;
- Breathlessness
- Asthma;
- Depression and social isolation;
- The fatigue and sleepiness of the day.
They are moderately at risk risk of:
- Cardiovascular disorders (i.e. stroke, heart attack);
- Gout /hyperuricaemia;
- Osteoarthritis;
- Respiratory disease;
- Hernia;
- Psychological issues.
They are at a slightly higher possibility of:
- There are various forms of cancer (breast, colon and endometrial cancers);
- Reproductive disorders;
- Infertility impairment;
- Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome;
- Skin complications;
- Cataract;
- Varicose veins;
- Problems with the musculoskeletal system;
- Bad back
- Incontinence due to stress;
- Oedema/cellulitis.
Underweight
People who are overweight may be malnourished. In addition they have an increased chance of developing health issues such as:
- Affected immune system, with an increase in susceptibility to infections
- Anaemia;
- Osteoporosis;
- Menstrual irregularities;
- Infertility issues.
What is the limit of the BMI?
Limitations related to BMI are: BMI are:
- BMI can vary based on age gender and race. So, a person's BMI can only be compared to those of the same gender, age , and race.
- BMI does not distinguish between muscle and fat which is why it will underestimate certain cases and overestimate in others (e.g. An athlete may have a high BMI because of a greater percentage of muscle rather than fat).
- People who are disabled or elderly have less muscle mass and therefore will have a lower BMI. It does not mean that their weight isn't normal or even underweight.
- The pregnant women may also be more obese BMI due to increased weight associated with pregnancy, but it is not necessarily due to the increase in fat. BMI will overestimate the body's fat levels in this instance. Pregnancy BMI and weight increase during pregnancy should be used to assess an individual's weight, as well as the need for exercise and nutrition interventions.
- BMI doesn't distinguish between body fat distribution. Fat in the area around waist ("apple" form) is more hazardous than fat around the hips ("pear" body shape) however, this is not considered as a result of BMI.
Check with your healthcare provider for other physical measures that could require to be utilized together with BMI for assessing health risks due to obesity.
Other ways to measure obesity
Table 2 Other measures of obesity
| Measure | Description |
|---|---|
| Waist circumference | The circumference of your waist (WC) is a good gauge of abdominal fat and can be used to determine health risk. It is measured by putting an unstretched tape measure around the narrowest level of your waist over thin or no clothing.For males:> 94 cm (37 inch) Risk increase to 100 inches (40 inch) significantly increased risk women:> 80cm ( 31 inch) - increased risk> 85 cm (35 inch) Significantly increased risk is also dependent on ethnicity and health risk are greater with a lower waist circumference in certain ethnic groups including Aboriginal, Pacific Islander, South Asian, Chinese and Japanese populations. |
| The hip circumference | The hip circumference (HC) is measured by placing a tape on the widest area of your hip , layered over the top of your clothes. HC cannot be used as a stand-alone measurement; instead, it's used as the ratio of WC to above. |
| Rapport between waist and hip | Waist to Hip ratio (WHR) is the ratio of your waist circumference to your hip circumference. The normal WHR for females is around 0.80, while for men it's 0.95. |
| Waist-height ratio | Waist to height ratio is the ratio of your waist circumference to your height. |
More information
| More information on nutrition, which includes information about the different types of food items and their composition in relation to nutrition and people and conditions that affect nutrition, and diets and recipes and some useful videos and tools to help you, check out Nutrition. |
| For more information about obesity, health and social issues, as well as methods of losing weight along with some helpful tools, see Weight Loss. |
References
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- Australian Government Department of Health. About Overweight and Obesity. 2009. [cited as 14 April 2014] Retrieved via: URL Link]
- NHS Choices. Underweight Adults. 2012. [cited 14 April 2014]. Available at:
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