If you have ever been interested in watching your weight, you have surely found that there is something called Body Mass Index (BMI) and almost every discussion of nutrition , diet and weight includes references to it. Therefore, there are a number of things you should know about the BMI and here we will tell you about them.
The Body Mass Index is the result of a formula designed to determine and categorize the weight of people. The oldest record of its use is in a 1835 work by the Frenchman Alphonse Quetelet. There are currently two variants of the formula for calculating BMI :
Using measurements in kilograms and meters: weight (kg) / height (m)2
If your weight is 70 kilograms and you are 180 centimeters tall, the operation is as follows:
BMI: 70 / [(180/100)2]
BMI: 70 / [(1.8)2]
BMI: 70 / 3.24
BMI: 21.6
Using measurements in pounds and inches: [weight (lb) / height (in)2] x 703
Taking the equivalences of the previous example, the operation is as follows
BMI: [154.32 / (70.872)] x 703
BMI: (154.32 / 5022.56) x 703
BMI: 0.03 x 703
BMI: 21.6
As you can see, the result is the same. To find out what the BMI says about your weight , the next step is to locate your result among the different categories that are conventionally accepted:
BMI | Level | possible implications |
Below 18.5 | Under weight (YO) | You need to increase your weight or regulate some metabolic disease. |
18.5 – 24.9 | Normal (II) | You are in an “ideal balance”. |
25.0 – 29.9 | Overweight (III) | Your weight has risen beyond the ideal range. You must (1) avoid its increase and (2) try to lower it. |
30.0 or more | Obesity (IV) | You need to lose weight or regulate a metabolic disease. |
To be more exact, the Body Mass Index reflects a ratio between your weight and your height . It is true that Health and Medical Sciences have identified important and statistically strong relationships between categories I, III and IV and multiple health conditions with varying severity . Inferences that go beyond this lack sufficient foundation. In fact, it is controversial to what extent social attitudes towards weight , and indirectly towards BMI , have been distorted and intertwined with stigmas, prejudices and behaviors that are detrimental to physical and psychological well-being. In fact, it is often forgotten that the problem is not weight but the risk of disease .
To conclude, keep in mind that the Body Mass Index is an important indicator but not absolute or sufficient by itself. Much more information is required to determine a person 's health status . If this topic arouses your curiosity and you want to improve the work you do to change your weight , we strongly recommend receiving professional support ; In this way, it is more likely that you will receive advice according to the characteristics and needs of your case .
