If you are confused about the concept of healthy weight know that you are not alone. According to National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys, conducted in America, two out of three Americans are considered overweight or obese, but only half of these people think they have weight problems.
In fact, the gap between what we feel in our body and how much we really are heavy in terms of standards has never really been higher. Here's the problem.
We know that even a small weight loss - only five to ten percent of total body weight - can significantly reduce the risk of weight-related health conditions such as High Blood Pressure and diabetes.
But if you do not have a clear picture of whether your weight is healthy, it is even less likely that you will focus on reducing the percentage of pounds. And you will be devoted to small changes that might be of great benefit to your health. To determine where you are on a healthy spectrum of weight, you will need to measure your BMI, waist circumference, and not just look at the weights on the scale. And after all, consider taking your body shape in consideration as well.
BMI
BMI, or Body Mass Index, is the most commonly used calculation to measure whether someone is overweight or not. It represents the body weight ratio in kilograms and squares of body height in meters. You can easily calculate your own BMI.
Normal BMI is between 18.5 and 24.9. The BMI of 25 to 29.9 is considered overweight, and over 30 is considered obese. BMI less than 18.5 is considered as risky just like the one above 30 because it carries a lot of different health risks, primarily osteoporosis, general malnutrition, infertility. But since BMI does not differentiate between muscle mass and fat mass, it is particularly incorrect for people who are athletically constructed and is, in fact, equally unrealistic to approach the same calculation for people of different races.
To get a more comprehensive picture of your profile, you will need to get the right result.
Waist scope
Since fat deposits are the most dangerous and the biggest indicator of potential health risks (diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, liver disease and heart disease), waist circumference measures provide better information about your condition.
Although it is not quite clear why abdominal fat or visceral fat is more dangerous than subcutaneous fat accumulating somewhere else in the body, scientists believe this may be related to the fact that visceral fat cells release metabolic byproducts directly into the vascular system and instantly attack the liver where are accumulating.
Measure the circumference of your waist with a flexible meter, "from navel to navel". The upper limit of normal weight in women is 89 centimeters, and in men is 101 centimeters, so that's a good indicator for you.
The method of calculating the body shape index is a bit more complex, but luckily there are such calculators that will quickly detect whether you are somewhat thicker in medical terms or your weight is actually perfect.
The shape of the body has become much more important than the weight itself, and one of the main conclusions is that apparently strong people, who do not have much abdominal room, are healthier than people with slim legs and narrow hips.
To get your BMI, simply measure all three results, compare them to standards, examine your body, and you will know whether you have a healthy or unhealthy weight. So you will know best if you have to make a change in your habits or not, and if you do not like your body shape despite the weight you have, there is always a solution.
It's called active life, exercise, or a 100-percent pledge to your health. And beauty.