What is BMI and how do you calculate it?
You may have heard of it; the BMI? They calculate your BMI if someone has a healthy weight by calculating their BMI. But what exactly is it? How do you calculate it and is it suitable for everyone? You can read all about it in this article.
What is BMI?
BMI stands for Body Mass Index, it is an indication that indicates whether your weight is healthy in relation to your specific height. This index has been used internationally for years to determine whether someone is at a healthy weight. A high BMI can be an indication of obesity or the presence of a lot of body or belly fat. A low BMI can indicate malnutrition. However, BMI cannot be used as a diagnosis for someone's health because there are exceptions to the rule.How can I calculate my BMI?
Do you want to calculate your BMI? There are various online tools for this. However, you can also quite easily do this yourself. Use the following calculation method:Weight / Length x height. That means that you divide your weight by the square of your height. For example: 65 kg / 170 cm x 170 cm = 22,5.
According to BMI, an adult between 19 and 69 is healthy when his or her BMI is between 18,5 and 25. If you are above or below that, you could be more at risk of health problems. Different criteria apply to young people and the elderly.
Is the BMI always reliable?
According to the nutrition center, the BMI is less suitable for muscular people, for pregnant women, if you are breastfeeding and for people of Asian descent.In recent years, however, there has been increasing criticism of BMI. You can imagine that as a bodybuilder you are proportionally much heavier in relation to your height than someone who does not train. The BMI then indicates that you are in a risk group, while you hardly have any fat on your body. The same also applies to someone who does a lot of endurance sports. He or she will have a low weight, perhaps a BMI that is too low, which according to the BMI may indicate malnutrition. This is nonsense, of course, because this athlete will consume enormous amounts of nutrition.
Important addition to the BMI
BMI was developed from measurements on white Europeans. This immediately ensures that it is no longer a reliable measuring instrument for everyone. Every race has differences, but so does every person within a particular race. The BMI is therefore actually suitable for certain population groups in a certain age category. Then use it as an indication, don't rely on it too much.An important addition to calculating BMI is measuring your belly fat. The fat that accumulates here can cause health risks. You can measure the circumference of your waist with a tape measure. Do this on the skin around your waist. The waist circumference for healthy men is under 94 centimeters. Women have a healthy waist circumference if it is below 80 cm. Note that these are still indications.
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Also check out our blog about losing weight how do you set up a smart diet?