If you’re trying to lose weight, you’ve probably heard the term body mass index, or BMI, but do you know why it’s important and what it has to do with getting fit? If not, then read on so you can better understand what BMI is and its limitations and usefulness in relation to your journey to a healthier body and lifestyle.
What is body mass index?
Your BMI is an indicator to measure your body fat based on your weight and height. Determining your BMI can be done by dividing your body weight by the square of your height. For example, if you weigh 60 kilos and are 1.68 meters tall, your BMI equation will look like this:
BMI = 60 kg / (1.68 m2) = 60 / 2.8 = 21 (all digits rounded down)
Therefore, your BMI is 21. According to the World Health Organization, this is a healthy BMI. According to the WHO, a person with a BMI between 18.50 and 24.99 is considered normal and healthy, between 25 and 29.99 is overweight, and 30+ is considered obese. A person with a BMI less than 18.50 is considered underweight or malnourished.
Determining your BMI is pretty easy, and based on WHO definitions, it’s a pretty easy way to see if you’re a healthy weight for your size. However, the BMI is just a number. It cannot predict health conditions or take other health variables into account. For example, you may have a BMI of 22 but be a regular smoker. So you have a healthy BMI but are still at risk due to your smoking-related unhealthy lifestyle. Some people have a very low BMI but still have very high cholesterol levels. So BMI can be misleading: you may be healthy by BMI standards, but since it’s not a comprehensive measure of your overall health, you still need to take a more holistic approach to understanding your health.
Is it useful to know your body mass index?
Knowing your BMI can be helpful; can let you know where you stand on healthy weight vs. in risk weights. However, as stated before, it is not enough to simply know your BMI and think you are healthy. You must view his body as an intricate network of parts that work together to create his overall health. You need to be aware of your eating habits, your cholesterol, the amount of exercise you get, the amount of stress you experience, the general health of your emotions – all of these factors play a role in keeping your body functioning as close to optimal as possible. . possible. Measuring your BMI is good as it lets you know what risks may be associated with obesity or malnutrition, but think of your body as a beautiful portrait with many unique features and focus on how they work individually and together to keep you healthy and whole. . .