Obesity
How to measure obesity
'Obesity is not a cosmetic problem'
CNN
Obesity is defined by the U.S Institute of Medicine (IOM) as a complex multi-factorial disease of appetite regulation and energy metabolism. Obesity is more than a cosmetic concern. It is associated with a myriad of ill-health, health problems, and complications as well as reduced quality of life.
Measuring the extent of obesity helps you to quantify the challenge you are facing in losing weight. This is one of the major strategies in approaching weight loss successfully. A well anticipated problem tends to attract effective solutions. The weight loss handbook Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle further delves into this concept. Below is an overview.
There are several ways by which you can use to determine the extent of obesity. The following are the most popular;
Body Mass Index:
The Body Mass Index (BMI) is a mathematical ratio of your weight and height that is used by physicians and researchers of obesity to give an indication of your health status in relation to your weight. Technically BMI measures how overweight you are. This means it has no way of determining body fat passé.
For example if we are to take our athlete body builder with a BMI of 27, they would be healthier and more fit, than a regular Joe with the same BMI. This is because regular Joe’s body composition consists of more fat while the athletes’ body consists of mainly muscle.
This is the small disadvantage of using BMI. It does not take into account body composition. However, it is still a common measurement method to determine obesity because the physician can observe your body to tell your general body composition.
This ratio is calculated as follows:
BMI= (Body weight in pounds) x 703 / [Height in inches] 2
This gives you a number normally in between 70 and 10. These numbers are rated as Underweight, Normal, Overweight and three different classes of obesity i.e. obesity Class I, Class II and Class III.
- Below18.5 is considered underweight
- 18.5 – 24.9 is considered normal
- 25.0 – 29.9 is considered overweight
- 30.0 and Above is considered obese with Class I,II, & III
BMI is used together with other measurements can be part of a diagnosis. But in itself it is not really a diagnostic tool rather an indicator of your health status.
This means that you cannot conclusively say you are in imminent danger of heart disease, a risk associated with obesity, simply by using BMI only. However BMI may be an indicator that such a risk may exist. It may also be used as a measure for weight loss.
Waist Circumference:
Another measurement of obesity is the waist circumference. Excessive weight, as measured by BMI, is not the only risk to your health. Where your body fat is deposited on your body is very important. You are at higher risk of developing obesity related complications if you are carrying fat around the middle, mainly around your waist. If you carry most of your excess body fat around your hip and thighs you may be at a lower risk.
This it appears to be true even if your BMI falls within the normal weight range. Excessive body fat around your middle is a significant health risk.
It is already well known that waist circumference is an independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease, a frequent accompaniment of obesity. It is also an indicator of insulin resistance that results to diabetes.
To measure your waist circumference, use a tape measure and place it on your bare abdomen just above your hip bone. The tape should not be too tight or lose, rather it should snugly fit. Make sure the tape is parallel to the floor. Stand straight, relax and exhale then take the measurement.
Men should consider themselves at risk at 40 inches or102 cm. Women are considered at risk, at 35 inches or 88cm. However, if you are of a height less than 5ft, the waist circumference would not apply very well. Your measurements are lower than these standard measurements.
Waist-Hip Ratio:
A third measurement is the waist-hip ratio. As already discussed, where you deposit body fat is of importance. Your health is affected not only by how much body fat you have, but also where most of the fat is located on your body.
The Waist-Hip ratio is used to determine your body shape and consequently determine whether you deposit fat mainly on your upper body or lower body.
If you tend to gain weight mostly on your lower body, that is your hips and buttocks, then you have a “pear-shaped” figure. On the other hand if you tend to gain weight mostly in your upper body mainly the abdomen, then you have more of an “apple-shape”.
A ratio of more than one is considered risky. This is where by the circumference of your waist equals or is more than that of your hip. That is if you are an "apple" rather than a "pear," you are at increased risk for the health problems associated with obesity, such as diabetes, coronary heart disease, and high blood pressure.
In order to calculate a correct ratio, your waist and hip measurements should be taken at their narrowest and widest points respectively, that is, at the navel and over the buttocks.
For men the waist-hip ratio is recommended to 0.9 or less. For women 0.8 or less is recommended. Otherwise weight loss should be considered.
All these measurements should be used together to determine the extent of the challenge. After quantifying the challenge you then can be able to effectively approach the Top 4 Reasons why you fail in losing weight. Get Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle to learn more.
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