What is BMI?
BMI stands for "Body Mass Index". It was invented by Belgian polymath Adolphe Quetelet. The main purporse of BMI is to give a quick, simply to understand measure about your body compositon, wether you are underweight, overweight or somewhat in normal category. BMI index was quickly adopted by many and today it is widely used by both physicians and dieters to judge body composition. However, BMI index is not and never be meant to replace proper diagnosis and careful examination. In that respect it can be used only as a starting point - to simply tell you should you be concerned about your body fat levels and look for physician advice.
BMI is a reliable indicator of total body fat, which is oftenrelated to the risk of disease and death. BMI can be used for both woman and man but it has some limitations:
* For people which are overly muscular, like body builders or naturally muscular types BMI can overestimate body fat levels.
* For very slim, lightweight boned structures, or older people it can underestimate level of adipose tissue (ie body fat)
BMI index number returned means following:
Underweight Below 20
Normal 20 - 24.9
Overweight 25.0 - 29.9
Obesity 30.0 and Above
Risk Factors
If your BMI shows that you are overweight or obese you should particulary watch out to additional risk factors which can, combined with high BMI lead to serious health problems.
ADDITIONAL RISK FACTORS:
* high blood pressure (hypertension)
* high LDL-cholesterol ("bad" cholesterol)
* low HDL-cholesterol ("good" cholesterol)
* high triglycerides
* high blood glucose (sugar)
* family history of premature heart disease
* physical inactivity
* cigarette smoking
First download free BMI Calculator
If your BMI is higher or equal to 25 and especially if it is over 30 you should consider immediate weight loss program. But first you should consult your doctor who will examine your condition, measure exact body fat levels, blood pressure and tell you if it is safe for you to start dieting. Diseases usually related to high BMI are hight cholesterol, high blood pressure, diabetes, stroke and heart disease.