The World Health Organization (WHO) considers global obesity an epidemic. WHO estimated that approximately 1.6 billion adults were overweight and 400 million adults were obese in 2005.
Body mass index (BMI) is a simple method of calculating how fat you are. It is commonly used in classifying overweight and obesity in adults. It is defined as the weight in kilograms divided by the square of the height in meters (kg/m2).
If for example your weight is 90 kg and your height is 175 cm, then your Body Mass Index or BMI will be 90/(1.75 x 1.75)
This will be 29.39
According to WHO, at 29.39 you are overweight. In fact, you are on the verge of being obese.
The WHO defines
"Overweight"
as a BMI equal to or more than 25.
"Obesity"
as a BMI equal to or more than 30.
This formula is used to calculate the BMI for adults (usually considered as 15 and over 15 years of age). For children under 15 years this formula does not apply.
The above formula to calculate BMI in adults is used globally. The body proportions of different populations are different. So, the same BMI may not correspond to the same degree of fatness of individuals.
BMI is the best overall indicator of obesity and medical risk. The risk for serious health consequences increases progressively as BMI increases. A recent Harvard study discussed in the October issue of the Harvard Men's Health Watch confirmed that people who are overweight but not obese (BMI 25-29.9) also faced an increased risk of several serious illnesses.
Even though the cut off value for a normal BMI is 25.00, it is accepted that BMIs below 22.00 are healthier. The aim should be to maintain a BMI below 22.00 but within the normal range.
