Friday, March 7, 2014

BMI Calculator: Are You Overweight?

Do you really need to lose weight? The BMI Calculator above will figure out your body mass index category (underweight, normal weight, overweight, or obese(A condition characterized by excess body fat )

  • This body mass index calculator is based on the standard BMI measurement that takes your weight in kg and square of the persons height in meters.

  •  Basically it tells you if you have an unhealthy body weight. It works for adults, both men and women above age 19. It is a good indicator of the amount of body fat you have, which is directly related to the risk of various diseases.

The BMI calculator uses the following weight categories for your BMI score:

Underweight   = less than 18.5

Normal weight = 18.5 - 24.9

Overweight    = 25.0 - 29.9

Obese         = 30.0 or greater
       


  • Body Mass Index (BMI) represents an index of body weight in relation to height. While BMI is not a measure of body fat, it is recommended as a more accurate way to assess body fatness than measuring weight alone.

In general, people with BMI in Normal range have the lowest health risks.

However, higher BMI does not always mean that a person has too much fat. Although BMI correlates with body fat level, it is not the perfect tool for evaluating the health risks associated with obesity. For example, athletes may have BMI which is higher than Normal because they have more muscle and thus weigh more than average people. But despite their high BMI, they are fit and in good health.

At the same time, BMI which is lower than Normal is usually associated with either extreme natural leanness or, in a worse case, with malnutrition or even starvation.

Scope of problem:

A national health problem : over weight  and obesity

Health risks associated with obesity :
                                                             Hyper tension ,hyper lipidemia ,Type 2 diabetes ,cardio vascular disease ,gall bladder disease ,stroke ,menstrual irregularities ,infertility and cancer(endometrium ,breast ,prostate ,colon)

Causes:

  • An imbalance when energy intake exceeds energy consumption.excess calories are consumed,exceeding those expended through exercise and activity.                                 
  • interaction of psychological and environmental factors(behavioral ,cultural ,social,economic factors)
  •    Genetic factors
  •   Endocrine and metabolic disorder(metabolic syndrome)

Prevention and management:


Life style modifications:

  •   Combination of dietary changes to reduce body weight combined with increased physical activity.
  •  Personalized diet with reduced caloric intake :fat intake with less than 30% of total energy intake ,emphasis on fruits,vegetables,whole grains and lean protein.
  •   Personalized exercise program,including stretching exercises,resistance exercises and aerobic exercises.
  • Instruction in ,self-monitoring of exercise responses(heart rate ,perceived exertion)

Behavior therapy:

  • Self monitoring of eating habits and physical activity(use of a food and exercise diary)stress management .
 
Pharmacology : Before taking any medications please consult your doctor.


  •   Over the counter (OTC) and prescriptive weight loss therapy                       (eg:sibutramine,orlistat)

Surgery(bariatric surgery):

  •   Limited to persons with BMI over 40(or individuals with comorbid conditions and a BMI over 35)
  •   Procedures include gastric banding and gastric bypass.

Exercise prescription:

  •  Before doing any exercises please consult your physical therapist.
  • Start slowly ,provide adequate warm –ups ,cool down. initial   exercise intensity should be moderate(40%-60%HRR)
  • Increase intensity gradually in order to prevent injury :moderate-intensity activity(50%-70% HRR)
  •   Frequency: 5-7 days/week.
  •   Duration:45-60 minutes
  •  Use of circuit training in order to combine resistive training with aerobic training activities.
  •      Provide with short rests between activites/exercise bouts.
ü               Involve the patient in activity selection,incorporating individual preferences and likes.
ü           Aquatic exercise programs can assist in reducing musculo skeletal strain and injury.

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