Why are BMIs useful ?

Why are BMIs useful?

It is the BMI measures an easy and inexpensive screening tool used to identify possible concerns with weight in adults and children. The BMI measure is helpful in determining who requires further testing to identify dangers to health, like heart disease. Individuals at risk will need an additional examination. The assessment could include a tests for the thickness of skin folds, diet, physical activity level, family history , and other appropriate health screenings.

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Risks related to BMIs that are extreme

Being at risk of being overweight (with an BMI over 25) or being underweight (with an BMI less than 18.5) can affect your health.

Overweight

People who are obese or overweight obese face a higher likelihood of suffering from disease than those who are in an appropriate weight category. The risk of developing diseases increases as you increase your BMI. Those classified overweight (BMI 25-29.9) are also likely to be classified as pre-obese and at risk of disease. In Category 1 obesity (BMI 30-34.9) There is moderate chance of developing disease. The risk of getting sick increases to severe or very severe risk at the stage of obesity 2 (BMI 35-39.9) and 3 (BMI > 40) respectively.

It is crucial to remember that BMI is not a risk factor only. Other elements like what one eats, how often they exercise and whether or not they have any medical history within their family can affect an individual's risk of disease. But, as a collective people who are overweight or obese have a higher risk of many diseases.

They are at risk of a high possibility of:

• Type 2 Diabetes;
• Gall bladder disease
• Hypertension;
• Dyslipidaemia;
• Insulin Resistance;
• Atherosclerosis;
• Sleep apnoea
• Breathlessness
• Asthma;
• Social isolation and depression;
• Fatigue and daytime sleepiness.

They have a moderately increased probability of

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

They are slightly more at risk chance of:

• Certain types of cancer (breast colon, endometrial and breast cancers);
• Reproductive anomalies;
• Impaired fertility;
• 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. Additionally, they are at an increased risk of developing health issues such as:

• Compromised immune function with increased susceptibility to infections
• Anaemia;
• Osteoporosis;
• Menstrual irregularities;
• The impaired fertility.

What is the limit of the BMI?

Limitations that are associated with BMI are: BMI are:

• BMI is different by age, race and sex. Thus, one's BMI cannot be compared with those who are of the same sex, age and race.
• BMI does not differentiate between fat and muscle, which is why it will underestimate certain instances and overestimate for others (e.g. A sportsperson may have an elevated BMI due to a higher percentage of muscle, rather than fat).
• Older or disabled people have less muscle mass and consequently have the lowest BMI. It does not mean that their weight is normal or even underweight.
• Women who are pregnant may also be more obese BMI because of increased weight caused by pregnancy, but not necessarily due to increased fat. BMI will underestimate the amount of fat in the body in this scenario. Pre-pregnancy BMI and weight increase during pregnancy should be considered when assessing the woman's weight and determine the necessity for nutritional and exercise interventions.
• BMI does not differentiate between the body's fat distribution. Fat on the abdomen ("apple" body shape) is more dangerous than hips ("pear" body shape), but this is not reflected by the BMI.

See your healthcare provider for other physical tests that might require to be taken alongside BMI for assessing health risk caused by weight gain.

Other ways to measure overweight

Table 2: Other measures of obesity

Measure	Description
Waist circumference	Waist circumference (WC) is a great indicator of abdominal fat . It can be used to identify health risk. It is measured by putting an unstratified tape measurement around the narrowest area of your waist, over either light or none clothing.For men:> 94 (37 inches) - increased risk> 102 cm (37 inch) greater risk of being ill than 102 centimeters (40 inch) - substantially increased riskFor women:>80 cm ( 31 inch) - increased risk> an 88 cm (35 inch) A significantly higher risk is also affected by ethnicity and health risk are greater with a lower waist circumference for certain ethnic groups, including Aboriginal, Pacific Islander, South Asian, Chinese and Japanese populations.
The hip circumference	Hip circumference (HC) is measured by putting a tape around the widest area of your hip area over minimal clothes. HC is not a useful measurement by itself, but typically it is used to calculate the ratio of WC to previously mentioned.
Rapport between waist and hip	Waist to hip ratio (WHR) is the ratio of your waist circumference to hip circumference. The normal WHR for females is about 0.80 however for men it's 0.95.
Waist-height ratio	Waist to height ratio refers to the proportion of your waist circumference to height.

More details

More information on nutrition, including details on the types of food and their composition, nutrition and people health conditions that are related to nutrition and diets, as well as recipes and diets and some useful videos and tools, see Nutrition.

For more details on overweight, social health, and methods for losing weight, and a variety of useful tools, visit The Weight Loss.

References

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