What your BMI means
The World Health Organization (WHO) has established that a BMI of between 18.5 and 24.9 is ‘normal’, by which it means that someone whose BMI is within this range has the least risk of developing weight-related health problems.
A BMI of 25–30 is considered ‘overweight’, with an increased risk of developing weight-related illnesses, such as certain cancers, heart disease and type 2 diabetes. The higher your BMI above this level, the more the risk to your health increases and the more you will benefit by losing weight: losing just five to 10 per cent of your body weight and keeping it off can make a difference, so it’s well worth aiming for.
Waist management
Your waist measurement is another important indicator of whether you are in healthy shape or not. This is because research has shown that where we carry any excess weight on the body is just as crucial to our overall health as how much extra we might have.
It appears that too much fat around the stomach, seen as an apple shape or ‘beer belly’, plays a damaging role in increasing the body’s resistance to insulin, which in turn can lead to an increased risk of type 2 diabetes and heart disease. Someone who is an ‘apple’ shape will have a greater risk of health problems than someone of the same weight who carries their weight around the hips, thighs and bottom (the classic ‘pear’ shape).
To work out your BMI, accurately you will have to weigh yourself.
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Body fat
An average healthy man has about 15–20 per cent body fat; an overweight man would have about 25 per cent body fat; and an obese man, 35 percent or more. For women, the figures are 25–27 per cent; 30 per cent; and 35 percent respectively. You can have your percentage of body fat measured: common methods include skin-fold callipers, bioelectrical impedance or dual energy X-ray absorptiometry.
Measure your waist
To measure your waist, keep the tape measure flat and hold it firmly but not too tightly against your skin. The place to measure is the midpoint between the bottom of the ribs and the top of the hip bone, about 2.5 cm (1 in) above the navel.
Check the table below to see how healthy your waist measurement is. If your BMI is in the normal range but your waist is in the ‘increased risk’ category, it would be a good idea to lose some weight to slim your waist and stomach.
Going pear-shaped is not bad news for ur health.
Note: Asian people with ‘apple’–shaped waists have been found to be at higher risk of developing health problems than other groups. Asian men with a waist measurement of 90 cm (36 in) or more, and Asian women whose waist is in excess of 80 cm (32 in) are in the ‘high risk’ group.
Does your waist shape up?
The Ashwell Shape Chart (opposite) was developed by leading nutritionist Dr Margaret Ashwell and is an at–a-glance way of checking whether your shape, as determined by your waist and your height, is in a healthy range or not. To use the chart, just read off your height in a horizontal line and your waist measurement in a vertical line. The point where the two lines meet is where your shape is on the chart.
Apple shapes
Fat seems to be more easily lost from ‘apple’ shapes than from ‘pears’, and this could help to explain why men often seem to slim more quickly than women. Being stressed stimulates production of the hormone cortisol, which is known to play a part in distributing stored fat in the central abdominal area, and this could contribute to an ‘apple’ shape. Fat stored in the central area is found deep down in the region of the stomach, while fat on the hips, thighs and bottom is stored nearer the surface of the skin. This can give it the ‘orange peel’ texture known as cellulite, so it is a small consolation that while it may not look attractive, it is less harmful to health than central abdominal fat.
Quick measures
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