The problem of weight affects so many people, in some countries it is so acute that huge financial and human resources are allocated to find a solution. Individuals generally have a good chance of correcting body weight disorders without resorting to surgery. To successfully start this process, you need to perform several actions, such as calculating a BMI, undergoing a medical examination and choosing a diet. Let's talk about the first step. So, how to calculate BMI?
What is BMI and what does it mean
BMI stands for "Body Mass Index". This is an index by which you can tell about the amount of fat in the body and the presence or absence of problems caused by its excess. By itself, BMI is only one of the diagnostic indicators, and no serious predictions and conclusions based on onlyit cannot be done. It would be best to visit a dietitian who will tell you how to calculate the BMI index and conduct an additional examination, as well as draw up the correct weight loss regimen (if necessary).
Body type, its features
Most people, evaluating their attractiveness, first of all think about body weight. Calculating the BMI index as the main indicator of progress towards beauty is a fundamentally wrong approach. In addition, in fact, in addition to body weight and body fat thickness, there are a lot of factors that need to be taken into account so as not to harm he alth.
- Asthenic type. These people are more prone to thinness than to fullness. An accelerated metabolism ensures the rapid consumption of calories, which also does not contribute to the growth of adipose tissue. Very often, people with this type of physique suffer from excessive thinness. Restoring normal weight takes a lot of time and more effort.
- Normosthenic type is a figure of average proportions. As a rule, the weight fluctuates within a small range.
- Hypersthenic type has broader shoulders and greater body mass. Sometimes people of this type make attempts to significantly reduce their weight, but this is not always possible due to the nature of the physique.
Before you calculate BMI and build a weight loss regime based on it, you need to objectively evaluate your own body parameters and try to determine your body type. This is essential in order todemand the impossible from yourself and most successfully bring the weight back to normal just for yourself.
How to calculate BMI (body mass index)
Many are most interested in how much you can trust the results obtained after the calculation. Since the very concept of normal weight is quite subjective, there is no single standardized formula for everyone. But the most famous and therefore popular version of the formula for calculating BMI (body mass index) is weight in kilograms divided by height in meters squared.
For the usual metric system for us, an example of the calculation will look like this: with a weight of 70 kg and a height of 1.70 m, the calculation will be like this 70 / (1, 70)2=24, 22
BMI interpretation
Before you calculate BMI, you need to take into account some factors. For a person over 20 years old, this indicator is assessed on a standard scale, however, for children and adolescents, gender and age must be taken into account, for which there are separate tables of results.
Standard BMI values in an adult: 18.5 or less - underweight, 18.5–24.9 - normal, 25.0–29.9 - overweight, from 30.0 - obesity.
The above formula, due to its simplicity, can be used by ordinary people to control body weight. But there are other, more specific methods that are used mostly by dietitians.
What can affect BMI
Besides the ones already mentionedbody type, BMI can be influenced by other features of each individual person. Despite the fact that age and gender do not give significant deviations of BMI from standard values, in some cases such fluctuations occur, since there is more adipose tissue in the woman's body, while muscle tissue predominates in the male. For example: if a man goes in for sports, then more developed muscles will seriously increase his body mass index, since muscles weigh more than fat. This should not scare or disturb.
Appearance and BMI
You need to understand that two people with exactly the same BMI can be very different from each other, and approaching the indicator to the ideal in itself will not make a person irresistible. In addition to regulating body weight, it is also necessary to eat right and exercise regularly to help keep the body in good shape.
Also, do not forget about the well-known truth: a beautiful body is a he althy body. Visit your doctor regularly, especially if you are currently adjusting your weight and keep track of changes in BMI. The doctor should examine the condition of the body and, possibly, prescribe any concomitant procedures that mitigate the side effects of diets.
Also, don't worry if your BMI is slightly elevated and stays at the lower limit of being overweight. If the body does not feel uncomfortable, do not exhaust it with dietary restrictions. It may be worth adding small walks to the daily routine and reducing the amount of harmful food components. For example, replace high-calorie chocolate bars with he althier fruits, and eat some vegetable salad instead of large portions of sweet pastries.
But if, after calculating BMI, it turned out that its value exceeded the threshold, which means obesity, this is a reason to make an appointment with a doctor and start treatment. Obesity is a disease, and often, a person simply physiologically cannot overcome it on his own. In this case, the doctor will tell you what to do and how you can bring your body weight to he althier values. For some patients, additional diagnostics may be needed to rule out diseases that contribute to weight gain. If diseases are detected, it is best to undergo treatment first. Very often getting rid of the disease itself can help to reduce weight.
