Importance of Body Mass Index
‘Health is wealth’ is a saying which tells you that clichés exist for a reason. Because come what may, your well-being is one thing that you can never afford to compromise upon. Today’s demanding lifestyle makes it all the more important that you maintain a good health. In order to do that, you must be well aware about how fit you are. One way of doing which is by keeping your BMI or Body Mass Index in check. But when it comes to BMI, there is always a lot of misinformation taking rounds. So what all exactly does the term stands for and more importantly, what all it does not?
BMI is important as it helps one to maintain a healthier life easily. One must keep a check on their BMI on a regular basis. What is BMI? And How does it help in maintaining a healthier life? Let’s know all about BMI
What is BMI and Importance of Body Mass Index
In simple words Body Mass Index or Quetelet Index is the ratio of your body weight in relation to your height. The easiest way of finding which is by using a BMI calculator. It measures the amount of your tissue mass (muscle, fat, and bone) and based on the resultant value, categorises you as either underweight, normal weight, overweight or obese. The commonly accepted BMI ranges are under 18.5 for underweight, from 18.5 to 25 for normal weight, from 25 to 30 for overweight and over 30 for obese. People with BMI above 25 are at a higher risk of arthritis, breathing difficulties, diabetes, gall bladder diseases, heart diseases, high blood pressure and varicose veins. When one knows that S/he is on higher risk of such diseases, they can take necessary precautions and stay healthy. It is a good source of information for a basic understanding of how healthy you are.
Drawbacks of Body Mass Index
The reason why BMI is not considered reliable by some is because of its two main drawbacks. Firstly, it does not take into account the differences in physical characteristics of individuals. This includes factors such as age, gender and ethnicity of a person. For example, for the right evaluation of your health, your BMI should be scaled down as you age because of the decrease in the density of your bones. Secondly, it fails to differentiate between the muscles mass and the fat mass of your body. This is the reason why athletes and body builders generally have BMIs which fall into the obese range. This is because of the added weight of their muscles and is not indicative of extra fat.
Body Mass Index – Understand health better
Monitoring your BMI is a great way to guard your weight despite the aforementioned limitations. Though it is may not tell you about every little thing, it does provide you a general overview as to where you stand on the health front. If you BMI does not fall into the right category, knowing so would help you into countering it. BMI classifications also help health professionals in their findings for example in cases of people with eating disorders. Those whose measurements lie in the obese category have higher risks of developing heart disease and problems such as that of diabetes. One way to better monitor your health is to also include waist circumference in the measurements. It tells you about the extra fat deposited in various parts of your body and along with your BMI provides a more holistic understanding of your health.
I hope the article helped you get a detailed information about BMI and it helps you calculate your BMI so you can maintain a healthy life.
