Body Mass Index calculator

Obesity and overweight lead to arising harmful effects on our overall health. The most common health risks of obesity are skin problems, respiratory difficulties, sleep apnea. But obesity can bring on more serious medical conditions, like hypertensions and cardiovascular problems, higher risk of cancer, type 2 diabetes and so on.

That’s why medical community has developed special formula to assess risks of obesity and overweight – Body Mass Index (BMI), applied to both men and women.

How to assess health risks of obesity?

Body Mass Index is approximate measure of our body fat, based on weight to height proportion. Additional option to BMI is waist circumference indicating our abdominal fat. It can also predict risks of developing obesity related diseases.

BMI is a reliable indicator of body fat, but we should consider that it may underestimate body fat in older persons and people with lowered muscle mass. It may also overestimate fat level in athletes and persons with developed muscle mass.

Calculate your BMI

Place measuring tape around your bare abdomen just above your hip bone and keep it parallel to the floor. Relax, exhale, and see your waist circumference. Over 40 inches for men and 35 inches for women mean increased risks for heart disease and others.

These are some additional risk factors we better consider to assess our health risks of obesity:

• High blood pressure (hypertension)
• High LDL-cholesterol (bad cholesterol)
• Low HDL-cholesterol (good cholesterol)
• High triglycerides
• High blood sugar
• Familial premature heart disease
• Low physical activity
• Smoking

Recommendations

For people with BMI equal to 30 or above, or those who are overweight (BMI of 25 to 29.9) and have two or more risk factors, official medical organizations recommend weight loss. Losing even a 10 percent of your current weight will help to lower your risk of developing obesity associated diseases.

Overweight patients with normal waist circumference numbers and less than 2 risk factors may need to prevent further weight gain rather than lose weight.

If we are overweight or obese, we have a greater chance of developing high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol or other lipid disorders, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and certain cancers, and even a small weight loss (just 10 percent of your current weight) will help to lower your risk of developing those diseases.

The best solution for these purposes is weight loss system based on natural weight loss supplements plus special physical activity and healthy diet. We recommend using high quality natural weight loss pills from reputable brands.

But remember BMI is not a substitute to a medical advice! Address your doctor to see if you are at an increased risk and if you should lose weight. Your doctor will evaluate your BMI, waist circumference, and other risk factors.