It’s All About BMI

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 Maintaining a healthy weight is the first step towards a healthy lifestyle, according to Rahma Al Ketbi, Nutrition Education Manager at Imperial College London Diabetes Centre.

What is an optimum body weight?

A common way to identify what is a healthy body weight is through using the Body Mass Index (BMI). BMI is an estimate of an individual's relative body fat calculated from his or her height and weight. The formula for calculating BMI is weight in kilograms (kg) divided by height in metres (m) squared.

The higher your BMI value, the greater the risk of disease such as type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, arthritis and certain types of cancers.

         

Weight (kg)

BMI = height (m2)

BMI Categories:

·         Underweight            = 18.5

·         Normal weight          = 18.6-24.9

·         Overweight              =  25-29.9

·         Obesity                   =  BMI of 30 or greater

BMI chart is suitable for most adults to estimate if they are overweight or underweight.  However it is not as useful when used on children below the age of 18, pregnant and lactating women, very lean, muscular adults and the elderly as it may underestimate or overestimate the level of associated health risks.