What is BMI?

Index weight (Body Mass Index – BMI) is a number calculated from a person’s height and weight. BMI is a reliable indicator of obesity in humans. Research has shown that BMI correlates with direct measurements of body fat, so it can be considered as an alternative to their measurement. Additionally, BMI is an inexpensive and easily workable method of screening for weight categories that may cause health problems.

How to use BMI?

BMI is used as a screening tool to identify possible weight problems associated with adults. However, BMI is not a tool for diagnosing health problems. It is important to remember that BMI, or weight is not the only risk factor of the disease. To determine the likelihood of developing diseases associated with excessive and excessive body weight should be taken into account and other conditions such as:

individual scale structure (because abdominal fat is a risk factor for diseases caused by obesity),
other individual risk factors and conditions associated with obesity (such as high blood pressure or physical inactivity).

How is it calculated?

BMI is calculated the same way for both adults and children according to the following formula:
height (kg) / [weight (m)] * [weight (m)]

Interpretation of BMI for adults

BMI	Weight
Under 18.5	Under normal
18.5 – 24.9	Normal
25.0 – 29.9	Excessive
30 and more	?verweight

Interpretation of BMI for children and teens, from 2 to 19 years

Although the BMI number is calculated the same way for children and adults, the criteria for interpreting the meaning of BMI in children and teenagers is different from that which applies to adults. In children and teens, BMI percentages are dependent on sex and age for two reasons:

amount of body fat changes with age
amount of body fat is different for boys and girls
Due to these factors, the interpretation of BMI by sex and age specific for children and teenagers. Growth charts for BMI CDC (Center for Disease Control and Prevention U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) allow translation of a BMI number into a percentage by age and sex of the child.

Rank of BMI est.. distribution	Weight
< 5%	Under normal
5% – 85%	Normal
85% – 95%	Excessive
>=90%	Overweight

BMI distribution of the percent of children saying  Body Mass Index for a child compared to a reference population of thousands of children that is based on BMI chart. For example, if a boy is 8 years old and if his BMI falls in the 60th percentile rank, it means that 40% of boys 8 years have a higher BMI, and 60% have a lower BMI than children.

The BMI is a reliable indicator of body fat

The relationship between BMI and body fat is very strong, but the correlation varies by sex, race and age. These variations include the following examples:

• The same trans BMI, women usually have more body fat than men;
• The same BMI, older people, on average, have more body fat than younger
• Poizvezhbani athletes or individuals may have a higher BMI increased by more than Muscularity more fat.

It should be noted that BMI is not a direct measure of body fat and BMI is calculated from an individual weight that includes muscle and fat. As a result, some individuals (athletes) may have a high BMI, but not high fat. Although some people with BMI in the range of 25 to 29.9, may not have excess body fat, most people with a BMI in the range of excessive weight gain (> = 30) had higher levels of body fat.

What are the health effects due to excessive and too much weight

People with excessive and excessive weight are at increased risk for many diseases and health conditions, including the following:

• high blood pressure
• dyslipidemia (for example, high LDL cholesterol, low HDL cholesterol or high levels of triglycerides)
• type 2 diabetes
• coronary heart disease
• stroke
• Galbladerova disease
• Osteoarthritis
• sleep apnea and respiratory problems
• some types of cancer (breast cancer, endometrial cancer, etc.).