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Women Health Article: Obesity (Weight Loss)

What about weight-for-height tables?

Measuring a person's body fat percentage can be difficult, therefore, other methods are relied on to diagnose obesity. Two widely used methods are weight-for-height tables and body mass index (BMI). While both measurements have their limitations, they are reasonable indicators that someone may have a weight problem. The calculations are easy, and no special equipment is required.

Most people are familiar with weight-for-height tables. Doctors and nurses (and many others) have used these tables for decades to determine if someone is overweight. The tables usually have a range of acceptable weights for a person of a given height.

One small problem with using weight-for-height tables is that doctors disagree over which is the best table to use. Several versions are available. Many have different weight ranges, and some tables account for a person's frame size, age and sex, while other tables do not.

A grave limitation of all weight-for-height tables is that they do not distinguish between excess fat and muscle. A very muscular person may appear obese, according to the tables, when he or she in fact is not.

What is the body mass index (BMI)?

The body mass index (BMI) is a new term to most people. However, it is now the measurement of choice for many physicians and researchers studying obesity.

The BMI uses a mathematical formula that accounts for both a person's weight and height. The BMI equals a person's weight in kilograms divided by height in meters squared (BMI=kg/m2).

The BMI measurement however, poses some of the same problems as the weight-for-height tables. Not everyone agrees on the cutoff points for "healthy" versus "unhealthy" BMI ranges. BMI also does not provide information on a person's percentage of body fat. However, like the weight-for-height table, BMI is a useful general guideline and is a good estimator of body fat for most adults between the ages of 19 and 70 years of age. However, it may not be an accurate measurement of body fat for body builders, certain athletes, and pregnant women.

It is important to understand what "healthy weight" means. Healthy weight is defined as a body mass index (BMI) equal to or greater than 19 and less than 25 among all people aged 20 or over. Generally, obesity is defined as a body mass index (BMI) equal to or greater than 30, which approximates 30 pounds of excess weight. Excess weight also places people at risk of developing serious health problems.

The table below has already done the math and metric conversions. To use the table, find the appropriate height in the left-hand column. Move across the row to the given weight. The number at the top of the column is the BMI for that height and weight.

BMI (kg/m2)	19	20	21	22	23	24	25	26	27	28	29	30	35	40
Height (in.)	Weight (lb.)
58	91	96	100	105	110	115	119	124	129	134	138	143	167	191
59	94	99	104	109	114	119	124	128	133	138	143	148	173	198
60	97	102	107	112	118	123	128	133	138	143	148	153	179	204
61	100	106	111	116	122	127	132	137	143	148	153	158	185	211
62	104	109	115	120	126	131	136	142	147	153	158	164	191	218
63	107	113	118	124	130	135	141	146	152	158	163	169	197	225
64	110	116	122	128	134	140	145	151	157	163	169	174	204	232
65	114	120	126	132	138	144	150	156	162	168	174	180	210	240
66	118	124	130	136	142	148	155	161	167	173	179	186	216	247
67	121	127	134	140	146	153	159	166	172	178	185	191	223	255
68	125	131	138	144	151	158	164	171	177	184	190	197	230	262
69	128	135	142	149	155	162	169	176	182	189	196	203	236	270
70	132	139	146	153	160	167	174	181	188	195	202	207	243	278
71	136	143	150	157	165	172	179	186	193	200	208	215	250	286
72	140	147	154	162	169	177	184	191	199	206	213	221	258	294
73	144	151	159	166	174	182	189	197	204	212	219	227	265	302
74	148	155	163	171	179	186	194	202	210	218	225	233	272	311
75	152	160	168	176	184	192	200	208	216	224	232	240	279	319
76	156	164	172	180	189	197	205	213	221	230	238	246	287	328

Table Courtesy of the National Institutes of Health

Body weight in pounds according to height and body mass index.

Below is a table identifying the risk of associated disease according to BMI and waist size.

BMI	Category	Waist less than or equal to 40 in. (men) or 35 in. (women)	Waist greater than 40 in. (men) or 35 in. (women)
18.5 or less	Underweight	N/A	N/A
18.5 - 24.9	Normal	N/A	N/A
25.0 - 29.9	Overweight	Increased Risk	High Risk
30.0 - 34.9	Obese	High Risk	Very High Risk
35.0 - 39.9	Obese	Very High Risk	Very High Risk
40 or greater	Extremely Obese	Extremely High Risk	Extremely High Risk

Table Courtesy of the National Institutes of Health

source: medicine net .com

Women Health Article: What are the obesity health risks?

Body fat is good for you. It protects internal organs, isolate the organism thermically and softens blows.

However, obesity is harmful and excessive weight can provoke serious disorders and obese people have from double to triple the probability of dying prematurely, compared to people with normal weight.

A person is called obese when the Body Mass Index greater than 30. When the BMI is greater than 40 we speak about grave obesity, which implies a serious risk for the person’s health.

An obese person has a weight that exceeds by far the ideal one estimated from a health point of view (and also from an insurance point of view).

An obese person runs the risk of a range of diseases that are linked to obesity and are more probable when the obesity level is higher.

These diseases are: diabetes, bilary calculosis, respiratory insufficiency, nocturnal apnoea, cardiovascular diseases, arterial hypertension, arthrosis of backbone and of lower limbs, fertility anomalies, cancer.

The obesity state is also a specific risk factor for anaesthetic accidents, if you need a general anaesthesia to undergo a surgical operation.

It has been proved that these risks can be greatly reduced by keeping some parameters under control. Paradoxically, among them weight will be less influential. Recent research has demonstrated that a 10% initial weight loss is enough. It is an easy goal to reach and to maintain and in time it is a sufficient factor to decrease mortality caused by obesity by 20%, decrease by 40% mortality linked to the cancer risk, and decrease by 30% mortality linked to diabetes.

So a little weight loss can bring great benefits to health. But how can we define the risk index more accurately? How can we know when it is opportune to lose weight?

After having calculated your BMI, you also need to measure the waist, as it measures the abdominal obesity level, because abdominal obesity level is another factor directly linked to the health risk of obesity.

However, waist measurement is a useful figure only when the BMI value is under 35%, because if it is greater it means that the risk index is too high. To decrease the pathological risk index linked to obesity, waist measurements should be kept below 88 cm for women and 102 cm for men.

Weight loss is therefore highly advisable when:

• BMI is greater than 30
• BMI is between 25/30 but waist measurement is greater than 88 cm for women and 102 for men
• There are pathological conditions linked to obesity (respiratory, cardiovascular, diabetes, etc) that are already in progress.

In all these cases, following a weight control program nowadays available in many hospital centres, it is possible to significantly decrease pathological risks linked to the obesity condition, even without submitting to an exhausting and inadequate diet.

source: web 4 health .info