When it comes to our weight, we hear a lot about BMI but what actually is it, how do you work yours out and why does it actually matter?
What is BMI?
BMI stands for Body Mass Index and it is a measurement that uses your height and weight to determine whether you are a healthy size.
BMI is rated as underweight, healthy weight, overweight and obese and is determined by a calculation that uses your body mass and height.
How Accurate is BMI?
Medical professionals will always take your BMI into account as it does determine whether you weigh enough, the right amount or too much for your height and it is one of the criteria we check here at Bodyline Clinic before accepting applications, as you must have a BMI of over 25 to be deemed suitable for our treatment.
One of the big accuracy issues with BMI is that it doesn’t take into consideration whether your weight is predominantly fat or muscle. Many people who work out have a high percentage of muscle and low percentage of body fat but as muscle weighs more than fat, they can appear heavier on the scale, even though they’re super healthy and in shape.
Many people who are extremely muscular are deemed as overweight or even obese on the BMI chart due to the fact that their weights are heavier, so this is a flaw in the accuracy of BMI.
How Can You Calculate Your BMI?
Although there is an actual formula you can use to calculate your BMI using pen and paper, there really is no need to go to all that effort as the NHS has an easy to use BMI calculator.
All you have to do is input your weight in stone or kilograms, your height in feet or cm and then also input your age, sex, ethnicity group and select which level of activity you think you fit into out of inactive, moderately active or active.
Once you have filled in all this information, the calculator can then tell you your BMI and if you use the NHS calculator which is recommended for people here in the UK, it will also show you where your BMI sits on the coloured scale, showing whether your BMI is deemed healthy or not.
Risks of an Overweight or Obese BMI
If your BMI is deemed overweight or obese but you know this is due to working out a lot, you may not need to be concerned but if you’re aware that your BMI is too high due to carrying excess weight, this could put you at an increased risk of certain health problems.
If your BMI deems you as obese and this is due to excess body fat, health problems such as the following become a bigger issue:
- Type 2 diabetes
- Coronary heart disease
- Strokes
Weight problems can also lead to mental health problems such as depression and anxiety.
How Can You Lower Your BMI?
If your BMI is high and it is due to fat, the best way to lower it to the healthy category is to simply lose body fat.
Changing your diet to be healthier whilst increasing your exercise is the recommended way to lose weight on the NHS, however here at Bodyline, we know that can be easier said than done.
We do support a healthy diet and active lifestyle but if your BMI is overweight or obese and you’re struggling to drop the pounds with your new life changes, the help of clinically tested medical weight loss supplements may be the helping hand you need.
We offer weight loss pills, a slimming pen and even vitamin remedies for weight loss, all of which have proven results in lowering BMIs from the overweight categories to the healthy range. So, if you need help with lowering your BMI, get in touch with the Bodyline team today!
