This Article comes from the book How Not to Die written by Michael Greger, M.D. (founder of one of my favorite and very informative web-sites NutritionFacts.org) and written with Gene Stone. He talks about how to figure out your BMI (Body Mass Index) which is your weight in pounds vs. your height in inches. Many say that it's not a fair assessment because people that are in shape with lean muscle may have a higher BMI due to the fact that muscle is heavier than fat. He addresses that as well.
From the book:
"To study body weight, we usually rely on body mass index (BMI), which is a measure of weight that also takes height into account. For adults, a BMI over 30 is considered obese. Between 25 and 29.9 is considered overweight, and a BMI between 18.5 and 24.9 is considered "ideal weight." In the medical profession, we used to call a BMI of under 25 "normal weight." Sadly, that's no longer normal."
He goes on to give an easy way to calculate you BMI which I will give a version of here.
With a calculator:
Using a person 5'11" or 71 inches and weighing in at 200 lbs. we'll break it down
Multiply your weight X 703 (200 X 703 = 104,600)
Divide that answer by 71 and then that answer by 71 also (104,600 ÷ 71 = 1980.2816)
(1980.2816 ÷ 71 = 27.89)
Your body mass would be 27.9 which is considered significantly over weight
If you want to figure it out another way if you don't like these results and think you're in great shape, try the Weight to Height Ratio (WHtR)
Grab a measuring tape
Stand up Straight and take a deep breath, exhale and let your stomach hang out
The circumference of your belly (halfway between the top of your hip bones and the bottom of your rib cage) should be half your height - ideally less.
What do we learn from all of this? If you don't like the results of either test, look in the mirror and recognize that it's time to take your health into your hands and start making better choices.
I highly recommend Dr. Greger's book and please feel free to look information up on his website. His videos are great. He is a straight talker and wants everyone to be the healthiest they can be and believes that what you eat is the number one indicator of your current and future health..
