Tuesday, May 13, 2008

My current BMI and Waist Size and Health Risk

My BMI (this morning) = 19.632 and my waist size = 30.5 inches = 77.47 cm. So both my BMI and waist size are within the healthy range.

According to federal guidelines, a clinical diagnosis of obesity also includes a determination of your waist circumference and risk factors.

If you are within the normal BMI range and your waist measurement is lower than the cutoff, maintain that weight and check your fitness level, blood pressure, and cholesterol levels.

In men, a waist circumference greater than 40 in. is considered a health risk. Women who have a waist size larger than 35 in. are considered at risk. In Asian people, health problems are seen with a smaller waist size. In Asian women, a waist size of 32 in. (80 cm) or more raises the chance for disease. In Asian men, a waist size of 36 in. (90 cm) or more raises the chance for disease.2

If your are in the overweight (BMI of 25 to 29.9) or obese (BMI of 30 or above) category and your waist measurement is higher than the cutoff level, talk to your doctor about other risk factors you may have, including type 2 diabetes, smoking, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and being inactive. If you have two or more risk factors, your doctor will probably advise you to lose weight and to change your eating and physical activity habits to reduce your risk factors for blood vessel disease, such as coronary artery disease (CAD), peripheral arterial disease (PAD), and coronary vascular disease (CVD).

Source: http://www.revolutionhealth.com/healthy-living/weight-management/learn-the-basics/ideal-weight/healthy-bmi-range

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