However, a number of studies have demonstrated that some individuals with obesity have lower cardiovascular risk and an improved metabolic profile, while a subset of “normal-BMI” people are metabolically unhealthy and have increased mortality risk.Ī team of researchers at the University of Virginia, Charlottesville, found better post-surgical short-term survival rates among people with obesity than patients of normal weight 3. Having obesity heightens the risk of premature death. individuals with obesity, have a significantly higher risk of eventually becoming diabetic, developing cancer, cardiovascular diseases, osteoarthritis, and liver and gallbladder diseases.

Advances to improve the measurement of obesity and related factors will help determine the optimal weight for an individual, taking into account factors such as age, sex, genetics, fitness, pre-existing diseases, as well novel blood markers and metabolic parameters altered by obesity.” “There is an urgent need for accurate, practical and affordable tools to measure fat and skeletal muscle, and biomarkers that can better predict the risks of diseases and mortality. A paradox that generates a great deal of controversy. In the Science article – “The Health Risk of Obesity – Better Metrics Imperative” 2 – the authors refer to the pros-and-cons of obesity as the “obesity-mortality paradox”. However, according to recent studies, obesity may also protect against death from all causes, as well as death due to stroke, heart failure and diabetes. We all know that obesity increases the risk of developing heart diseases, type 2 diabetes, cancer, sleep apnea and other diseases and conditions. Mitchell Lazar, MD, PhD, Professor of Medicine and Genetics and Director of the Institute of Diabetes, Obesity, and Metabolism, and Rexford Ahima, MD, PhD, Professor of Medicine and Director of the Obesity Unit in the Institute for Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism, discuss the challenges health professionals face when studying the mortality risks and health of people with obesity in the journal Science 1. Anybody with a BMI of 30 or more has obesity. You are of normal weight if your BMI is between 18.5 and 25, overweight if it is between 25 and 30. The news hits the headlines, everybody agrees, and then all goes quiet for a while. Note that, in our BMI calculator, the 'Upper Weight Limit' depends on age and sex, so it is not fixed as in other calculators.Every few months the same comment is made by experts “ BMI is flawed”. Here is the BMI Prime formula: BMI' = Actual Weight/ Upper Weight Limit It is a simple modification of the familiar Body Mass Index (BMI) system.īMI Prime is defined as the ratio of a person’s Actual Weight (or Mass) to his Upper Weight (or Mass) Limit of the “healthy weight” range. What is BMI Prime?īMI Prime (abbreviated BMI’) is an index of total body fat content. If your height is 1.7 meter and you weigh 65 kilograms (kilos), your BMI isįinally, BMI = 22.5 kg/m 2 (rounded). Here is the BMI formula in the metric system where weight is in kilograms, and height is in meter: BMI = weight/ (height) 2 Furthermore, our BMI calculator is better than the standard BMI calculator once it includes both sex and age into its algorithm. On the other hand, someone with a light bone structure might be considered of normal weight, even if they have excess body fat.Īlthough some factors like, bone structure and muscle mass are not part of the equation when IMC is calculated, Body Mass Index can be helpful to set limits such as underweight, normal or obese, for individuals who lead a sedentary or 'normal' life. You should avoid rapid weight loss, swings in weight, and improper dieting.īMI is solely based on weight and height, so it may be an imprecise indicator (might come out as overweight) of body fat if someone has a large bone structure, athletic build or a large muscle mass. The goal of weight loss should be to improve health. Some research studies have shown that a weight loss of 1 to 2 pounds per week for six months can improve the health of overweight people. This calculator computes appropriately your BMI by using a 'redefined overweight and obese BMI thresholds for different gender and age groups', a 2015 study, for people who are more than 16 years old male or female. BMI is also known as Quetelet’s index.īMI is a way to discover if you are overweight, obese, underweight or normal. For most people, BMI is a good predictor of health problems that are linked to excess weight. BMI is a person's weight in kilograms divided by his/her height in meters squared.

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