Maintaining a healthy body mass index (BMI) is essential to keep your energy levels high, your mood in a good place and your body moving. Because we all have different sizes, shapes, genetics and metabolism, just looking at your mass on a scale doesn’t give you an accurate picture of your state of health. Body mass index or BMI is a more accurate way to do it for men and women.
What Is BMI Or Body Mass Index?
The BMI formula gives any person the opportunity to assess if your weight falls within a healthy range or not. The BMI calculator uses a person’s mass and height to establish if they have a healthy weight, and if they are at risk of developing chronic disease. BMI is considered a useful indicator for longevity and health.
What Is An ideal Body Mass Index?
The good news is that the range for what is considered to be a healthy body mass index for adults is quite broad. Adults should look for results between 18.5 and 24.9 to fall into a healthy weight range.
And of course, like everything that has a rule – there are always exceptions! If you fall into any of the below subcategories, these figures may not apply to you:
Asian people
The number range for Asian people’s BMI is usually lower.
Polynesian people
The number range for Polynesian people’s BMI is usually higher.
Older people
Older people often use higher BMI number ranges.
Endurance and high performance athletes
Athletes who train frequently and have lots of lean muscle mass also make use of a high BMI number range.Â
BMI is not applicable to children or pregnant women.
How Do You Calculate BMI?
There is a simple formula you can follow to calculate your own body mass index.
All you need to do is to take your weight in kilograms and divide it by your height squared.
The result from this calculator would be your BMI.
If Your BMI Isn’t In The Ideal Range – What Does It Mean?
The BMI chart and calculator references the following results and indicator:
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Less than 18.5: Underweight
People whose BMI falls below 18.5 would be considered underweight, and also at risk of complications. People who fall into this category may want to consult with one of our friendly dieticians to help them increase their BMI to a healthier range.
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18.5 – 24.9: healthy weight
People whose BMI falls between 18.5 and 24.9 fall into the healthy weight range. This is optimal – however the challenge is to maintain this weight by following a healthy lifestyle plan. A dietician can help you to maintain a balance between a healthy diet and regular physical activity to help you maintain a consistent BMI.
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25 – 29.9: overweight
If your BMI is between 25 and 29.9 you would fall into the overweight range. There would be many health benefits to losing weight, and a dietician is the best person to help you get started on this journey.Â
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More than 30: obese
People who have a BMI of 30 or more fall into the obese range. Living within this BMI puts your health at risk, and losing weight incrementally by making lifestyle adjustments will benefit your health in all aspects. Reducing the amount of fat in your body is important de heart health.
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Why A Professional Dietician Can Help With Body Mass Index
When you work with a dietician the focus lies on changing your lifestyle –for good (in both senses of the word!). A changed lifestyle makes behaviours easier to change. If you live in a family and want to lose weight you won’t be able to do it alone –your family’s lifestyle is going to change it too.
Working with a professionally trained dietician means you’ve got someone there for support, someone who knows how to coach you through rough patches. This is important if you want to break the yo-yo cycle that goes with dieting and weight changes.
Exercise can also help you to lose weight. Check out our post on how treadmills help people to lose weight to learn more.
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Don’t Expect Results Overnight
It’s not possible to change shape overnight, the best results are slow and take incremental progress if you want them to be sustainable. Also remember that when you’re doing physical exercise you’re going to build muscle where there previously may have been very little. Interesting changes will happen to your body – and it really makes a difference when you’ve got a professional on your side.
Do you need help maintaining a healthy body mass index? Please contact us for assistance: (02) 9159 6903.
