Why are BMIs useful ?

Why are BMIs useful?

It is the BMI measure is an easy and inexpensive screening tool for identifying potential concerns with weight in adults and children. It is a BMI estimation can be beneficial in determining whether someone requires further tests to detect the risk of heart disease. Patients at risk of developing heart disease will require an additional examination. Assessments may include tests for the thickness of skin folds food, diet, exercise levels, family history and other appropriate health screenings.

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Risks associated with extreme BMIs

Being or overweight (with a BMI of more than 25) or underweight (with an BMI lower than 18.5) can impact your health.

Overweight

People who are overweight and obese have a greater chance of developing diseases than those in normal weight. The risk of developing diseases increases as you increase your BMI. The people who are classified as overweight (BMI 25-29.9) are also likely to be considered obese and at an increased risk of diseases. In the category 1 of obesity (BMI 30-34.9) you have a low chance of developing disease. The risk of getting sick increases to severe and severe risk at obesity stages 2 (BMI 35-39.9) and 3 (BMI >=40) and 3 (BMI >=40).

It is vital to understand that BMI is not a risk factor only. Other factors such as what is consumed, how often they exercise and whether or not they have any history of diseases within their families can also affect the risk of a person developing disease. But as a group those who are obese and overweight have a higher chance of developing many illnesses.

They have a much higher probability of

• Type 2 Diabetes;
• Gall bladder disease
• Hypertension;
• Dyslipidaemia;
• Insulin Resistance;
• Atherosclerosis;
• Sleep apnoea
• Breathlessness
• Asthma;
• Depression and social isolation;
• Sleepiness during the day and fatigue.

They are at a moderately higher likelihood of:

• Cardiovascular disorders (i.e. stroke, heart attack);
• Gout /hyperuricaemia;
• Osteoarthritis;
• Respiratory diseases;
• Hernia;
• Psychological issues.

They have a slightly increased probability of:

• Some types of cancer (breast colon, endometrial and breast cancers);
• Reproductive abnormalities;
• Low fertility;
• Polycystic ovarian syndrome;
• Skin complications;
• Cataract;
• Varicose veins;
• Problems with the musculoskeletal system;
• Bad back
• Stress incontinence;
• Oedema/cellulitis.

Underweight

People who are overweight may be undernourished. In addition , they're at an increased risk of developing health conditions, such as:

• Imperfection in the immune system and increased susceptibility to infections
• Anaemia;
• Osteoporosis;
• Menstrual irregularities;
• Infertility issues.

What are the limitations of the BMI?

Limitations associated with BMI are: BMI are:

• BMI is different by age, gender, and race. This means that a person's BMI can only be compared against those with the same sex age , and race.
• BMI does not differentiate between muscle and fat and will therefore underestimate in certain cases and overestimate in others (e.g. An athlete might have a high BMI because of the higher amount of muscle rather than fat).
• Older or disabled people are less muscular and consequently have the lowest BMI. This doesn't necessarily mean that their weight is not normal or overweight.
• Pregnant women also will be more obese BMI due to weight gain due to pregnancy, but not necessarily because of increased fat. BMI is a way to overestimate the amount of fat in the body in this scenario. Pregnancy BMI and weight growth during pregnancy must be used to evaluate an individual's weight, as well as the necessity of exercise and nutritional interventions.
• BMI does not differentiate between the body's fat distribution. The fat on the abdomen ("apple" physique) is more risky than fat around the hips ("pear" body shape) However, this is not reflected in the BMI.

Talk to your physician about other physical measurements that may have to be considered along with BMI for assessing health risk associated with weight gain.

Other ways to measure overweight

Table 2 Additional measures of obesity

Measure	Description
Waist circumference	The circumference of your waist (WC) is a good measure of abdominal fat, and can be used to identify health risk. It is measured by putting an untight tape measure at the narrowest area of your waist over lightly or without clothing.For men:>94 cm (37 inch) higher risk> 100 cm (40 inch) A significant increase in risk women:> 80cm ( 31 inch) Risk increase to 88 cm (35 inch) Risque also differs based on your ethnicity and the risk of health is higher when you have a lower WC in certain ethnic groups like Aboriginal, Pacific Islander, South Asian, Chinese and Japanese populations.
Hip circumference	Hip circumference (HC) is determined by putting a bandage around the broadest part of your hips over minimal clothes. HC isn't a good indicator on its own; usually it's used as an equivalent ratio to WC as mentioned previously mentioned.
Hip-waist ratio	Waist to hip ratio (WHR) is the ratio of your waist circumference to your hip circumference. For females , the typical WHR is around 0.80 in comparison to men it is 0.95.
Waist-height ratio	The ratio of waist to height is the ratio of the circumference of your waist to your height.

More details

For more details on nutrition, such as information on the different types of food items and their composition as well as people and nutrition and conditions that affect nutrition along with diets and recipes in addition to useful videos and other tools look up Nutrition.

For more information about overweight, social health, as well as methods for losing weight, and other useful methods, refer to How to Lose Weight.

References

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