Tuesday, September 16, 2008

BMI


The body mass index (BMI) is a statistical measurement which compares a person's weight and height. Though it does not actually measure the percentage of body fats , it is a useful tool to estimate a healthy body weight based on how tall a person is. Due to its ease of measurement and calculation, it is the most widely used diagnostic tool to identify obesity problems within a population. However it is not considered appropriate to use as a final indication for diagnosing individuals.

It is measured as weight in KG/ Height in Meter square.

BMI between 18 to 25 is considered as normal. Below 17 is grossly underweight while above 40 is considered as morbidly obese.

To keep BMI within normal limit we have to practice healthy diet and physical activity. Yes these two need conscious effort. If we can keep our BMI within normal limit, we can avoid many silent killer diseases automatically.

In the following few posts I will describe different aspect of food and how we can practice healthy diet very easily.

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