BMI tells you if you are overweight or underweight. Indeed, when you move away from your normal weight, the risks to your health increase. Especially if they are related to bad eating habits or an overly sedentary lifestyle. In addition, it allows you to assess any chronic disease problems that may affect your quality of life and your longevity.
The Body Mass Index or Body Mass Index (BMI) is therefore very useful for assessing your corpulence. Especially since it is the only standard reference index validated by the World Health Organization.
Calculating BMI is very simple.
To determine this, you use your weight (in kilos) and your height (in cm) to determine your fat mass.
BMI was originally developed to help identify weight issues within a population. Although it does not determine body fat percentage, it is often used to get a general idea of your healthy weight.
Because I remind you, the ideal weight does not exist, each person is different and unique!
BMI calculation
Calculate the body mass index quickly using the table below:
interpret your results
Once you have determined your BMI score, you are classified into different categories:
IMC INTERPRETATION less
than 18.5 Thinness 18.5
to 25 regular weight 25
to 30 Overweight 30
to 35 Moderate obesity 35
to 40 Severe obesity over
40 Morbid obesity
Are you overweight?
Is BMI reliable?
The BMI body mass index is a good indicator of fat mass. But there are other more personalized indices taking into account other variables to calculate your ideal weight.
Indeed, although it is the most common and well-known index, it has significant drawbacks. The first is that it only takes into account body weight, not overall body composition.
For example, people with a high amount of body fat and low muscle mass often have a normal score.
Often, muscular people have a high body weight due to their muscle mass but very little body fat. Wrongly, they are considered overweight and obese people. However, they do not need to lose weight and appear to be of normal build.
For example, look at the women below. They are all under 35 years old and all weigh 70 kilos. But they are very different!
BMI: too general an indicator
Finally, this indicator can be distorted when considering particularly tall or short people. Or for pregnant women.
Likewise, it does not take your age into account. For women aged 35 and over, events such as pregnancy and eating habits have an impact on weight. The same is true around the age of 40 due to hormonal changes and premenopause.
The relationship between BMI, body size and height when determining a “healthy” weight across age groups and gender is complicated to say the least.
So this index should rather be used as one indicator among others. Keep in mind that if you are in the scores of extreme thinness, or on the contrary overweight and obesity, your health is in danger.
If you have any doubts, a medical opinion can help you. The main thing is to feel good and fit!
Link between weight and infertility
Indeed, there would be a link between weight and problems getting pregnant .
A healthy weight is often more favorable for the conception of a child.
Being overweight or underweight could lead to hormonal and ovulatory issues that affect fertility.
Note, however, that a healthy weight is not necessarily associated with a balanced diet. However, this optimal diet remains essential for good fertility .
If you have been trying to conceive for more than 6 months without success, a fertility check-up may be useful. Take advice from your attending physician for support.
Although the BMI score isn't perfect, it's still a useful tool for measuring weight in relation to height. A normal BMI therefore indicates a healthy weight and takes into account the risks and complications associated with being overweight.
In the event that you notice weight gain or, on the contrary, a more or less significant loss, the BMI will be like a signal. Therefore, you know that it is useful to do additional examinations. Ask your doctor for advice for your health and well-being.
With a score of less than 18.5, you are in the lean category.
If your score is between 18.5 and 25, you are considered to be of normal weight.
When your score is above 25 you are in moderate, severe or morbid obesity beyond. Your BMI is high and you are considered overweight.
Note that if you are overweight, it has been proven that you may have a greater risk of weight-related diseases. You are at risk of having hypertension, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, cancer, stroke or sleep apnea.
If your score is high, your doctor will assess your risk for these diseases. It will use other key indicators like waist circumference and family history.
When your overweight is very important and you have an index of more than 35, in some cases, you could consider a sleeve to regain a healthy weight.
People with a BMI of 25 or more are at high risk for heart disease, diabetes, and more, due to the impact of excess visceral fat, cells, and body functions.
- Cardiovascular illnesses
The more pressure fat puts on your organs, the more work it takes to move blood through the body.
If your BMI is 27 or more, or if you have excess abdominal fat (a waist circumference of 89cm or more for women, or 102cm or more for men), you are more likely to to suffer from high blood pressure, increased blood lipid levels and coronary heart disease.
In addition, your doctor can compare your hip circumference and your waist circumference. This is called the waist-to-hip ratio, as another tool to determine if you have too much belly fat.
- Type 2 diabetes
After a meal, food is broken down into a sugar called glucose.
This triggers the production of insulin by the pancreas, which allows glucose to enter the cells of the body, where it is used as energy.
In some overweight or obese people, this process does not work effectively and glucose is not absorbed well.
Instead, it builds up in the bloodstream, which can damage nerves and blood vessels.
Consequently, it leads to complications such as heart disease, stroke, blindness, kidney disease, nerve problems, gum infections…
Why a low BMI is also a health risk
While not as common a health condition as a high BMI, a very low BMI puts you at increased risk for certain diseases:
- Osteoporosis
People who are underweight (BMI 18 or less) put less strain on their skeleton, which may seem like a good thing.
If this is your case, it is important to take action to prevent osteoporosis by practicing physical activity . It helps strengthen the bones of your skeleton and strengthen your muscles.
- anemia
People with a low BMI rarely eat a balanced diet, which can lead to anemia (low red blood cell count). Especially when folic acid and iron levels are insufficient.
Because red blood cells supply oxygen to body tissues, an insufficient number of red blood cells can lead to fatigue and, in severe cases, cardiac arrhythmia.
- Weakened immune system
Good nutrition fuels the cells that respond to infection and disease.
If you are severely underweight due to a low-calorie diet low in essential nutrients, you are more likely to get sick.
Indeed, you do not benefit from the benefits of a balanced diet for your immune system.
- Ideal weight or healthy weight
The ideal weight is difficult to determine because it depends on many factors.
When you think about achieving the "ideal" weight, you may imagine yourself fitting into a specific size or looking like someone you know, but what really matters is aiming for a healthy weight.
It's a goal that's not based on arbitrary numbers but on your body and what it needs to function well.
The fitness weight is not calculated. You feel it. Not just physically, psychologically as well.
This fitness weight is not the weight you dream of and you will not necessarily find it by looking at the dial of your scale.
It is at the end of your personal journey when you will have found a peaceful, stress-free life and a peaceful relationship with food.
Even if you've always struggled with your weight, you can make transformative changes to your health at any time in your life.
- Be active
Establishing a physical exercise program is beneficial for your health and will help you reduce the percentage of fat in your body.
Regular workouts will improve your appearance and mood, in addition to lowering your weight.
Strength training and high-intensity interval training are great options for reducing body fat.
Make small but effective changes to your routine.
Walk to work or take the stairs instead of the elevator.
- Eat mindfully
Food contributes to 80% of our weight gain or loss.
Make healthy eating a lifestyle change, not a diet you have to follow for a short time.
Be consistent and disciplined in your food choices and stray from time to time, but not too often.
Mindful eating is half the battle won.
Load up on protein and good fats at your meals and reduce your carbohydrate intake.
Keep a food diary to record everything you eat. If possible, consult a dietitian for help.
- Get enough sleep
Your body needs enough rest to have a healthy metabolism.
Get enough sleep to keep your weight under control.
Adopt healthy sleep habits so your body knows when it's time to shut down and fall asleep.
Do not use any gadget for an hour before sleeping. Try moving the television away from the bedroom.
Go to bed at the same time every night and avoid consuming caffeine or alcohol before bed.
- Celebrate your progress
Track your progress from the day you started.
A weekly or monthly check-up will help you stay motivated and correct weak points.
Celebrate your successes!
There are plenty of apps out there that track different aspects of your health, whether it's healthy eating, logging meals, or logging workouts.
- Step on the scale regularly
Weigh yourself regularly.
This helps you stick to your goal and gives you immediate feedback on your efforts.
Weigh yourself once a week at the same time.
- Consistency is key
Instead of going all out on your workout routines and eating healthy for a month and then falling back into your old unhealthy lifestyle, it's better to stay consistent with small changes.
Start with small steps and work your way up to a healthy, regular and consistent lifestyle.
This way you program your mind to accept small changes and settle into the new routine.
Each week or month, replace a bad habit with a new, healthier one.
While it's important to calculate BMI and determine where you fall on the spectrum of health and fitness, too high or too low a value shouldn't put you off.
Age, sex, muscle mass and bone mass all contribute to the calculation of BMI and it should be adjusted accordingly.
To stay healthy, make sure you eat a healthy diet and follow a regular exercise regimen.
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