Maintaining a healthy weight is the first step towards a healthy lifestyle,
according to Rahma Al Ketbi, Nutrition Education Manager at Imperial College
London Diabetes Centre.
What is an optimum body weight?
A common way to identify what is a healthy body weight is
through using the Body Mass Index (BMI). BMI is an estimate of an individual's relative body fat
calculated from his or her height and weight. The
formula for calculating BMI is weight in kilograms (kg) divided by height in
metres (m) squared.
The higher your BMI value, the greater the risk of disease
such as type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, arthritis
and certain types of cancers.
Weight (kg)
BMI
= height (m2)
BMI
Categories:
·
Underweight = 18.5
·
Normal
weight = 18.6-24.9
·
Overweight =
25-29.9
·
Obesity = BMI of 30 or greater
BMI
chart is suitable for most adults to estimate if they are overweight or
underweight. However it is not as useful
when used on children below the age of 18, pregnant and lactating women, very
lean, muscular adults and the elderly as it may underestimate or overestimate
the level of associated health risks.
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