- How to calculate BMI
- Table of BMI results
- When not to calculate BMI
- Why it is important to be within the ideal weight
BMI is the acronym for Body Mass Index that serves to assess the individual's weight in relation to his height and thus indicate whether he is within the ideal weight, above or below the desired weight.
Being within the right weight is important because being overweight or underweight influences health, increasing the risk of diseases such as malnutrition when you are underweight, and stroke and heart attack, when you are overweight. Thus, it is common for doctors, nurses and nutritionists to assess the person's weight in routine consultations to verify the possibility of diseases that the person may be pre-disposed to.
How to calculate BMI
The BMI calculation must be done using the following mathematical formula: Weight รท height x height. But you can also find out if you are within your ideal weight using our online calculator, just by entering your data:
This formula is ideal for calculating the weight of healthy adults. In addition, the waist-hip ratio calculation can also be used to assess the risk of having cardiovascular diseases, such as diabetes and heart attack. See how to calculate here.
Table of BMI results
Each BMI result must be evaluated by a health professional. However, the following table indicates the possible BMI results, according to the World Health Organization, with a BMI between 18.5 and 24.9 representing the ideal weight and the lowest risk of some diseases.
| Classification | BMI | What can happen |
| Very underweight | 16 to 16.9 kg / m2 | Hair loss, infertility, menstrual absence |
| Under weight | 17 to 18.4 kg / m2 | Fatigue, stress, anxiety |
| Normal weight | 18.5 to 24.9 kg / m2 | Lower risk of heart and vascular disease |
| Overweight | 25 to 29.9 kg / m2 | Fatigue, poor circulation, varicose veins |
| Obesity Grade I | 30 to 34.9 kg / m2 | Diabetes, angina, heart attack, atherosclerosis |
| Grade II Obesity | 35 to 40 kg / m2 | Sleep apnea, shortness of breath |
| Grade III obesity | greater than 40 kg / m2 | Reflux, difficulty in moving, bedsores, diabetes, heart attack, stroke |
Those who are not within the ideal weight should adapt their diet and exercise to achieve the most suitable weight for their height and age.
When you are underweight, you should increase your intake of nutrient-rich foods so that your body has what it takes to protect itself from disease. Those who are overweight should consume fewer calories and do some physical activity to eliminate fat stores, which increases the risk of heart disease.
When not to calculate BMI
Although BMI is widely used to check whether the individual is overweight or not, this method has some flaws and, therefore, it is recommended that in addition to it, use other means of diagnosis to check whether the individual is really above or below ideal weight, such as measuring the fat crease, for example.
Thus, BMI is not the ideal parameter to assess the ideal weight in:
- Athletes and very muscular people: because it does not take into account the weight of the muscles. In this case, neck measurement is a better option. Elderly: because it does not take into account the natural reduction of muscles at these ages; During pregnancy: because it does not take the baby's growth into account.
In addition, it is contraindicated in cases of malnutrition, ascites, edema and in bedridden patients.
A nutritionist will be able to personally do all the calculations necessary to assess your weight and how much you need to put on or lose weight, taking into account your general health.
Why it is important to be within the ideal weight
It is important to be within the ideal weight because the right weight is closely linked to the person's health status.
Having a small accumulation of fat in the body is important so that there are energy reserves so that when the person gets sick, they have time to recover. However, excess fat accumulates in the liver, the waist and also within the arteries making it difficult for blood to pass, and this increases the risk of heart disease.
Therefore, being within the ideal weight is important for increasing health, preventing cardiovascular disease and increasing quality of life. Thus, those who are underweight must increase muscle volume to increase weight in a healthy way and those who are overweight must burn fat to gain health.
Find out if the child is at the ideal weight and how to get him to this weight by clicking here.
