BMI (Body Mass Index) is a general measure for human body shape based on your specific weight and height. It’s calculated by dividing your weight by the square of your height. So, if for example you weigh 60kg and are 1.7m then your BMI would be 20.8 – which falls into the normal/healthy weight category.
What is BMI used for?
BMI is useful for measuring if a person is underweight, overweight or obese, and it’s a good gauge for your risk of health conditions and diseases that can occur if you’re carrying too much extra weight. The higher your BMI results, the higher your risk for certain diseases such as high blood pressure, heart disease, type 2 diabetes, gallstones, breathing problems, and certain cancers.
What do my BMI results mean?
- A normal/healthy BMI: 18.5-24.9
- Underweight: Below 18.5
- Overweight: 25-29.9
- Obese: 30 and above
If your BMI is over 31, it makes you 40x more likely to suffer from type 2 diabetes. A BMI of 35 or more doubles your risk of premature death.
If you’re worried about your weight, and want to find out how you can start on a healthy eating plan, why not speak to one of our doctors? Simply sign up on our website. download the free Hello Doctor app from the Google Play or iTunes store. With the app, you can talk to, or text our doctors, anytime, anywhere!
Why should I measure my waist circumference?
Measuring your waist helps screen for possible health risks that come with being overweight or obese. If you carry most of your extra weight around your waist, you’re at a greater risk for type 2 diabetes and heart disease. This risk increases with a waist circumference that is greater than 89 cm for women, and 102 cm for men.
Fast Facts:
- 1 in 4 South Africans are classified as overweight, and a further 20% are obese.
- Over 1.5 billion people worldwide are obese
- 1 in 5 people are able to maintain long-term weight loss
- South African obesity rates are catching up with the US
- 10% of children under the age of two, and 20% under the age of six are overweight in South Africa
- Being 25kg overweight increases your risk of hypertension by 5 times.
- Every organ in the body is affected by obesity, and obese people have a much higher risk of cancer, osteoarthritis, pulmonary disorders etc.
- Effective weight loss means you need to burn more calories than you consume. So, eat less of the bad stuff and more of the good stuff, and move more.
Something to consider
BMI is used differently for children. While it’s calculated the same way as for adults, it’s then compared to typical values for other children of the same age. Instead of set thresholds for underweight and overweight, the BMI percentile allows comparison with children of the same sex and age.
Tips to reduce your BMI:
- Increase the amount of exercise you do by just 20 minutes a day will result in weight loss
- Replace soft drinks and fruit juice with water
- Reduce the amount of alcohol you drinks
- Cut out sugar in your tea and coffee
Read more: Lose Weight the Healthy Way