Body
Mass Index Calculator and Waist Measurement
Today, 64.5% of adults in the US are considered overweight or obese. How do you know if you are among them? Two simple measures, body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference, provide useful estimates of overweight, obesity, and body fat distribution.
Waist circumference and Body Mass Index (BMI) are interrelated. Check if your BMI and waist measurement fall into the healthy weight or overweight categories. See also Waist-Hip Ratio.
Table 1. Healthy vs. Unhealthy Weight - Using BMI and Waist Circumference
| |
|
Healthy
Weight |
Over Weight |
| BMI |
|
BMI 19-24.9 |
BMI
Over 25 |
| Percent
Body Fat |
Women |
14-25 percent |
Over
27 |
| |
Men |
10-20 percent |
Over
20 |
| Waist
Circumference |
Women |
Varies |
35+
Increased health risk if combined with BMI 25+ |
| |
Men |
Varies |
40+
Increased health risk if combined with BMI 25+ |
Sources: Includes information from National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, and American Dietetics Association.
Because BMI does not show the difference between fat and muscle, it does not always accurately predict when weight could lead to health problems. For example, someone with a lot of muscle (such as a body builder) may have a BMI in the unhealthy range, but still be healthy and have little risk of developing diabetes or having a heart attack.
BMI also may not accurately reflect body fatness in people who are very short (under 5 feet) and in older people, who tend to lose muscle mass as they age. But for most people, BMI is a reliable way to tell if your weight is putting your health at risk.
Excess weight, as measured by BMI, is not the only risk to your health. So is the location of fat on your body. If you carry fat mainly around your waist, you are more likely to develop health problems than if you carry fat mainly in your hips and thighs. This is true even if your BMI falls within the normal range.
To measure your waist circumference, place a tape measure around your bare abdomen just above your hip bone. Be sure that the tape is snug, but does not compress your skin, and is parallel to the floor. Relax, exhale, and measure your waist.
Women with a waist measurement of more than 35 inches or men with a waist measurement of more than 40 inches may have a higher disease risk than people with smaller waist measurements because of where their fat lies.
Information provided by the National Institutes of Health/National Institute of Diabetes & Digestive & Kidney
Diseases. Waist Circumference - Health Risks
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