IMPORTANCE OF CALCULATING YOUR BODY MASS INDEX

February 19, 2021
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Body mass index (BMI) refers to your weight in kilograms divided by the square of your height in meters. You use a BMI calculator to calculate your body mass index. The result is your body mass index, which helps determine your level of fitness and health risks. It enables the doctor to assess your susceptibility to chronic diseases such as diabetes. In that case, a high BMI is an indicator of excess body fatness. BMI is only useful in screening for weight levels that may expose one to health problems, but it is not a diagnostic measure of one’s health.

Unfortunately, not many people know their BMI. Calculating your BMI should be something you do from time to time to keep your health in check. A BMI calculator comes in handy, so you only need to know your weight in kilograms and height in meters, and the calculator can do the math for you.

What BMI means?

To comprehend what BMI means, you need to take a look at the factors required to calculate your BMI, that is, your weight and height. In simplicity, BMI considers your weight and height to express their relationship as a single number, not dependent on your size.

Therefore a normal BMI falls between 18.5 to 25. If your BMI falls between 25 to 30, you are considered overweight. If it falls above 30, the doctor finds you obese and will advise you to reduce your weight. On the other hand, you are underweight if your BMI is under 18.5.

Like many other measures, a BMI figure is not a perfect test and should be accompanied by other tests. For instance, pregnancy or high muscle weight can throw off the BMI result.

Why is BMI important?

Using a BMI calculator to calculate your BMI is something that you should often do. Why is the BMI number so significant? A lower BMI indicates that something is amiss in your body, and you may be malnourished. It could be that you are not getting enough calories that align with your activeness, or it could be an indication that your body is not properly absorbing nutrients. On the other hand, having a high BMI indicates that you are overweight, and it alerts the doctor of your risks to overweight-related conditions such as heart disease, diabetes, and some cancers. According to research, there is an increased relationship between a high BMI and type 2 diabetes. The risks of the condition increase with each rise in BMI. People who are obese have higher risks of between 2.5-5times higher than people with normal weight.

According to WHO research, nearly 3million people die annually because of obesity or being overweight. However, people with high BMI report feeling better after losing weight. If you have a high BMI, the doctor will recommend you join a weight loss group or refer you to a dietician to help you get your weight back on track. That is why it is essential always to take advantage of a BMI calculator to check your BMI.

Conclusion

Note that BMI is not sufficient as a single measure, but it is a starting point to check for pointers to critical health problems. More tests should accompany it.