Today, everyone wants to stay fit and healthy to avoid health risks. People realise the vitality of remaining in shape as your body weight has a direct correlation with your health. This is the reason why the Body Mass Index (BMI) is calculated. If you’re conscious about health and fitness, then it is also crucial for you to know your BMI.
Do you know that excessive weight gain could increase the risk of health issues? The best way to measure your health is through BMI.
What is BMI?
BMI is an estimate of your body fat that is derived by dividing weight in kilograms by height in square meters. It is influenced by several factors such as age, sex, ethnicity, body fat, muscle mass, among others. However, you should note that having a healthy weight is not an indicator that you will not be prone to any diseases. If you’re overweight or obese, you may be a higher risk of developing diseases like diabetes, heart stroke, high blood pressure, breathing problems and several cancers.
The calculation of BMI is the same for all adults, be it a male or a female. There are two ways to get the measure of your body mass:
- Formula: weight (kg) / [height x (m)]2
- Formula: 703 x weight (lb) / [height (in)]2
Based on the formula, you may be categorised on the below fat percentile:
| Category | Percentile |
| Underweight | Lower than 18.5 |
| Healthy | Between 18.5 and 25 |
| Overweight | Between 25 and 30 |
| Obese | 30 and above |
- In the case of children, the percentile number varies depending on the various age groups.
- For adults, the index measurement is the same for both male and female
- For elderly citizens, BMI is not calculated as height and body composition changes with ageing
How can adults maintain a healthy body mass?
- Exercise: Regular exercise for 60-90 minutes will help you stay fit. In case you’ve excess body fat, you can reduce it through outdoor exercising activities like jogging, daily walk, yoga, etc. This will help you to bring down the unwanted body mass steadily.
- Eat healthily: Along with exercise, you also need to eat the right food. It is essential to give up consumption of junk foods and increase intake of fruits and vegetables in your daily diet. Healthy eating is vital to maintaining BMI.
- Cut down calories: Avoid cold drinks and intake sugar to eliminate the accumulation of fats in your body. Sugar may increase calories, resulting in excess weight gain.
- Avoid snacks: You may opt for junk food when you’re hungry. Relying on such meals occasionally is acceptable; however, regular eating can make you prone to illness and weight gain. Hence, you should thrive less on junk food.
If you do not know your BMI, it is time that you get it checked now. You can self-monitor your body mass using a BMI calculator online.
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