BODY MASS INDEX (BMI) & WAIST CIRCUMFERENCE

1/3 of the World is on a diet....  Another 1/3 just fell off the diet and the remaining 1/3 is going on a diet - Stephen Legris. 

That is definitely a hilarious yet realistic way of looking at diets. Your weight loss program must be all encompassing for it to be successful. It must take on an holistic approach that involves nutrition, exercise, lifestyle changes; physical, spiritual and emotional wellbeing. This post provides information about how to measure your internal fat deposit and discover your ideal body weight. Wherever you are on your weight loss journey, this information will definitely be of use to you. 

Waist Circumference 

This focuses only on your midsection. It is a quick, easy and fairly accurate way of measuring the amount of fat you carry in your middle. The excess fat in your midsection is referred to as abdominal or visceral fat. It is the most dangerous kind of fat, even more dangerous than the fat around your hips and thighs. This is because, it surrounds and suffocates the vital organs in your mid area such as the heart, lungs, kidney, liver, pancreas and digestive organs. This is a serious health risk that increases your risk of diabetes, heart disease, stroke and cancer. Waist Circumference gives you an awareness of the level of visceral fat you carry and the associated risk. 

How to Measure your Waist

Place the end of the measuring tape on your belly button before taking it around your Waist. Do not hold your breathe; breath in and out normally. Check your measurement. 

Recommended Guidelines 

You are carrying unhealthy visceral fat and your health might be at risk, if your waist size is, according to Dr. Julz (Medical Doctor and Public Health Media specialist), above 35 inches for women and 40 inches for men. The World Health Organisation guidelines recommends that a man's waist size should not exceed 94cm (about 37 inches) and 80cm (about 31.5 inches) for women. 

Limitations of the Waist Measurement 

The results will, of course,  not be accurate, if the person is pregnant or have just given birth. Also, some certain medical conditions might include the symptom of a protruding belly. 

Body Mass Index (BMI) 

This helps you know your weight category and calculate your ideal weight using the information of your height and weight. Your height and body build requires you to have a particular weight and BMI helps you discover that ideal weight. It shows you whether you are underweight, overweight, obese or have a healthy weight. Here are the various categories :

Underweight (BMI below 18.5)

Normal weight (BMI between 18.5 and 24.9)

Overweight (BMI between 25.0 and 29.9)

Obese (BMI above 30.0)

If you know your height in metres, calculate thus;

BMI= (weight in kilograms)÷(height in metres squared). 

For example : weight (60kg)÷height(1.8m) ×(1.8m) 

BMI= 60 ÷ 3.24 = 18.5. 

This result means the weight is normal. 

If you have your height in centimeters, calculate thus;

BMI= (weight in kilograms)÷(height in centimeters ÷100)

If your maths is a  little rusty, not to worry, there's an app for everything. Just download a BMI calculator on your phone and you're good to go. 

Limitations of BMI formula 

There are quite a number of limitations to the BMI formula. One of them is that it does not take into account a person's age, gender or race. Also body builders and athletes tend to have a larger muscular build than the average person, which might render the results inaccurate. 

Lactating and pregnant women gain more weight during this period, and that does not mean they are unhealthy. BMI does not put into consideration the elderly, who tend to lose muscle mass and become frail as they grow older. These situations tend to put into question the accuracy of the formula.

Both measurements discussed, complement each other and give an indication of your level of body fat and associated health risk.

Happy Dieting!