Gina Marietti

How to calculate your Body Mass Index (BMI)



Posted: Saturday, March 25, 2006

by
Fitness In-Home Training

Body Mass Index (BMI) is a formula that takes into consideration your height and your weight, and gives you an indication of whether you’re overweight, obese, or in good shape. According to the National Institutes of Health, BMI standards are as follows: underweight <18.5, normal 18.5-24.9, overweight 25.0-29.9, over 30 signifies obesity. BMI calculation has a few flaws it does not take into account your muscle mass or weight distribution, i.e. where most of the fat on your body resides. But for most people, it’s a better indicator of progress than simply weighing yourself.

Calculate your BMI using the following formula:



Weight (lbs)

Height (in) x Height (in) x704.5 = BMI



Example: Female, 5’8" tall, 140 lbs.



140

68x68 = 4624 = .30 .030 x 704.5= 21.1



After you calculate you’re BMI, the next step is to measure your waist. Evaluating fat in the abdominal region is very important in determining an individual’s health risk. Visceral fat, fat in the abdominal region, is a leading indicator for diabetes and heart disease. Researchers recently reported that men with waists of 40 or more inches, and women with waists of 35 or more are at substantially higher risk for these diseases - up to four times higher. In the United States, 119 million people or 64.5 percent are overweight or obese. And the experts predict by 2008, 73 percent of adults will have packed on extra pounds. Obesity is linked to 35 chronic diseases, including 2 types of diabetes, heart disease, stroke and cancer.

How are your results? Are you in the normal range or do you need to lose a few pounds? If you need to lose a few, start slow. If you jump head first into an intense exercise routine and completely change your diet, you will not last long. You will get burned out, frustrated and give up. Did you ever notice the health club floors and parking lots are packed with ambitious “New Years Resolution Get Fit People" in January? Drive by a health club today, there is plenty of parking. Why? Because most people start exercising with such good intentions to get into shape and when they don’t see immediate results, they quit. One way to avoid that occurring is to begin your exercise program with a friend or a personal trainer. There will be days when you do not feel like working out but you will because you are meeting someone. If you are not meeting anyone, there is a good chance you will blow off that day of exercising.

Here are a few other suggestions to keep you going. Join a running club if you’re a runner. Running clubs offer a great support system and will make sure you show up! Join Weight Watchers or a weight loss program. When you have to weigh in every week, you definitely will not miss a workout in fear of the scale going up at weigh-in time. Hire a personal trainer. You will not miss a session when you‘re paying for it.

We can all sit around and talk about why America is at its highest weight level but the bottom line is if your BMI is above normal or your waist line is pushing the high risk index, only you can make the choice to live a healthy lifestyle which includes exercise and a proper diet. Do it for yourself. Do it for your parents. Do it for your children. There are many things in our lives we cannot control but our weight is one thing we can control and change. So find a walking path outside and go for a brisk walk, find the treadmill buried in your basement and start it up, or hook up with a friend who likes to exercise, and if you have no friends who like to workout, contact me. I’ll get you going. Please take your weight and health seriously and make a change today. You have nothing to lose except pounds and inches. Happy training…

Gina Marietti is an ISSA Certified Personal Trainer. She lives southwest of Chicago in Illinois. Gina enjoys running, weight training and challenging events. She started her own company, Fitness In-Home Training, to train her clients in their own homes. She also offers online training through her website www.fitnessinhometraining.com.

Gina writes a weekly fitness column, Focus on Fitness, for her local newspaper, "The Homer Horizon". She competes in area dualthlons and races and stays very busy with her 3 boys and their sports schedule. Gina is dedicated to living a healthy lifestyle and loves to share her knowledge and excitement with everyone she meets.

You can reach Gina at Gina@fitnessinhometraining.com.

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