A sedentary lifestyle coupled with eating disorders is a sure shot way of becoming unhealthy. As we age, our tendency to be involved voluntarily in physical activities reduces. Instead of playing sport, we lounge in front of the television, instead of walking to the next block, we prefer our cars. Face the truth – we let ourselves slowdown and become lazy. Earlier people went on a diet mainly to look good. This was usually in the summer when beaches beckoned and swimming costumes were scrutinized before a full length mirror. Self Image was very important and working out was a great way to get back in shape. To loose those unsightly love handles, a round of golf or tennis did not always do the trick, more painful methods and diets had to be resorted to. There was no correlation of weight and health, and weight loss was always cosmetic.

We have come a long way since those times and our views on treating ungainly body fat have changed. We now understand that problems associated with being over weight are not only cosmetic in nature, but affect complete fitness. Now everybody knows that being over weight or obese can cause serious medical problems. Many of these problems have often been compared to the negative effects of smoking!

It is no surprise then that in the last few years’ research and health studies have concluded being over weight is the second largest cause of preventable diseases. Researches also indicate that excess body fat increases the risk of a person contracting diseases as heart ailments, stroke, diabetes, arthritis, cancer. In fact approximately 300,000 people in the United States alone died last year of illnesses brought on by being over weight. Which has resulted in question being asked whether there is a way to monitor the risk of weight related illnesses?

One of the ways for those interested in weight and their physical well being is the calculation of the Body Mass Index (BMI). Simply put, it is the measure of a person’s weight in relation to his height. While BMI does not measure body fat directly, it has been shown to correlate to measures of body fat, such as underwater weighing, and is considered an accurate alternative for body fat measurement. To calculate your BMI, you will need to divide your weight in pounds by your height in inches squared and multiply that by 703. The formula is:

Weight / [height (in inches)]² x 703

Your BMI will place you in one of the following categories:

Under weight – BMI <=18.5

Normal weight – BMI 18.5 – 24.9

Over weight – BMI 25.0 – 29.9

Obese – BMI >=30

In addition to BMI, those who have a waist size of more than 40 inches for men, or 35 inches for women, have a higher risk for obesity-related health problems such as diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart disease.

Many health and lifestyle websites offer BMI calculators for free. You just need to input your weight and height to get a result. If the result of the BMI test is above 25.0, your risk for medical problems is high and you need to consider a weight management program.

Statistics show more that 50% of the population in the United States is over weight and 26% are obese. Alarmingly one in three children in the United States is obese. If you are reading this, it is not too late. With a bit of will power and routine, it is very easy to get back in shape for complete fitness.

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