Obesity and BMI Index

The pandemic of obesity is nowadays everyday reality. Obesity in population is on the rise worldwide, not only in US. The stats we have are very alarming.

Obesity is a condition where the excessive accumulation of fat stores occurs everywhere in the body.

There are many causes of this. For example the lack of exercise and excessive intake of calories are the major two factors. Some people also can be obese due to the genetic disposition.

Many diseases may occur due to obesity like cancer of digestive track, atherosclerosis, joints and bones problems, diabetes, and respiratory diseases and so on.

We Divide Obesity Into These Groups

• Male obesity – fat is concentrated mainly in the abdomen and belly parts (apple type)
• Female obesity – fat is concentrated in the hip parts (pear type)

Causes of Obesity

• Lack of movement
• Excessive intake of calories
• Eating unhealthy foods rich in fats, proteins, carbohydrates
• Insufficient sleep
• Smoking
• Some medicines (for example for thyroid issues or diabetes)

BMI Index for Tracking Overweight or Obesity

The body mass index is a very useful and great tool for tracking range for overweight/obesity.

We can calculate this Body Mass Index (BMI) which approximately tells you if you should consider losing weight.

BMI Table

BMI Can Be Calculated Easily by this Formula

weight in kilograms / (height in metres * height in metres)

Your index should always be around 20-25. Health risks that are usually associated with obesity and overweight: high blood pressure, type two diabetes, gastrointestinal cancers, men’s erection problems, and so on.

What Are the Recommendations for Lowering Risk of Obesity?

• healthy lifestyle
• regular sport activity
• BMI between 19 and 24.9 range
• food divided in several meals a day in a smaller amount
• reduction of fats and sugars in the diet
• eat plenty of vegetables and fruits every day
• reduce alcohol consumption
• no smoking
• regular drinking regime – drink the water only