subject: Chronic disease, are you at risk? [print this page] With all the talk about rising levels of obesity, there may be a couple of questions you've been asking yourself. Here I will give you some answers which will enable you to decide whether your body is showing the early signs of degenerative disease.
1. Have you ever wondered whether your weight is healthy?
2. Have you been concerned about fat around your middle?
3. Do you understand the concept of the BMI?
4. Have you looked at your Waist to Hip ratio?
These are two simple assessments which you can do in the privacy of your own home.
Body Mass Index (BMI)
Waist to Hip Ratio.
BMI
I am sure most of you have heard of the BMI. The assessment is performed by dividing you Weight in Kilograms by your Height in Meters Squared.
E.g. A person weighing 75Kg and having a height of 1.65 meters would be
75/ (1.65x1.65) = BMI of 27.548 (27.5)
There are many BMI calculators available on the net so check them out.
Rating of the BMI
In order to be considered within a healthy weight range for your height your BMI should be within the20 to 24.9 range. Unfortunately the BMI is not a fool proof method of assessing lean body mass and total fat mass. With the BMI it's easy for a person with a large muscle mass to be considered obese. The reason being, muscle weighs more than fat for the space it takes up. On the flip side, a person may look small and have a low BMI but may still be carrying excess fat and very little lean muscle tissue. So you can see, the BMI should only be used a basic health risk indicator. If your BMI is below or above the 20 to 24.9 range then it is advisable to discuss your health with your health care practitioner.
BMI Health Risk Indicators
As most of the focus here is on the problem with obesity, I will list a few risk factors which are indicated once your BMI exceeds 24.9
Cardiovascular Disease (Heart Disease & Stroke)
Type 2 Diabetes
Osteoarthritis
Cancer (Breast, colon & endometrial)
The greater your BMI, the greater the risk. (Remember, we aren't talking about muscular people here, only people with excess body fat.)
To top it all off, if you have a family history of any of the above risk factors then you health is even more of a priority to address. If you have any concerns about your weight please see your health care professional
WAIST TO HIP RATIO.
Waist to Hip ratio is a more accurate way (although not fool proof) of assessing fat distribution. Excess fat around the abdomen in comparison to the lower body indicates an increased risk of disease as mentioned above.
To calculate your hip to waist ratio, divide your waist measurement in cm by your hips in cm. Measure your waist at the narrowest point and your hips at their widest point. Take each measurement 3 times and use the average of the 3 results.
E.g. Waist measurement of 86cm and Hip measurement of 100cm
Waist to Hip Ratio 86/100 = 0.86
FEMALES: Waist/Hip over 0.85 = a significantly increased risk of disease.
MALES: Waist/Hip over 0.95 = a significantly increased risk of disease.
Remember, neither of these tools are fool proof methods of assessing your current health status. Each person needs to be assessed on their own individual merits and as such,if you are having difficulty with you weight or have any concerns with regard to your health, please visit your health care professional to discuss the options.
