Is BMI-Body Mass Index Calculation An Accurate Measure Of Obesity?

Everyone knows obesity is a potential time bomb by increasing the risks of getting heart diseases, strokes and certain types of cancers. These are potential killer diseases. By keeping obesity down, these diseases may be avoided and even prevented.

One of the most popular methods of measuring whether one is overweight or obese is by using the Body Mass Index or BMI calculation. The formula for calculating BMI is:-

•Body weight in kilograms (pounds) divided by height in metres (ft) squared.

The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that a BMI measurement above 25 indicates that a person is overweight and a BMI measurement over 30 indicates that he is obese.

However, is this calculation accurate? The BMI recommendation by WHO was based on studies done largely on Caucasians. Thus the BMI recommendation by WHO may be an accurate indication of obesity on an average Caucasian. There are now findings to suggest that people of Asian and African origins have a significantly higher percentage of body fat compared to Caucasians although they may look slimmer than their Caucasian counterparts. Therein lays the danger. If you are an Asian or an African, you may look slim but may carry extra body fat of which you are oblivious to.

As a fitness personal trainer, it is not uncommon that when I measure body fat of my Asian clients who do not look fat physically, their body fat ratio are high.

According to Dr Mabel Yap, Deputy Director of the Department of Nutrition, Ministry of Health, Singapore, ethnic differences in BMI values have important public health implications as they imply that cut-off points for obesity should be lower or higher in different ethnic groups. "Lowering the cut-off point from 30 to 27 in Singapore, for example, would double the prevalence of obesity," she said.

In a study, the School of Physical Education of the National Institute of Education, Singapore and Wageningen University of Netherlands found that body built of a person does affect the BMI calculation of various ethnic groups. This result was further confirmed by other studies in Thailand and Indonesia.

As commonly known, BMI calculation is not accurate for muscular people (muscles are heavier than fat) and now, it may also not be accurate across the board for all ethnic groups. For a start, Asians and Africans may want to define their BMI results as being overweight if it is above 23 and obese if above 27.

The First Steps to Curing Obesity

Obesity has become an epidemic, especially in The United States. An average of 300,000 Americans die each year and nearly $177 billion is spent on illnesses related to obesity.

Obesity can affect your legs and back. It can raise your blood pressure and even cause diabetes.

We are becoming fat and lazy, but before we can conquer the problem, we have to start accepting responsibility for our own actions. What you are about to read may offend some people, but it needs to be said.

Many people suffer from being overweight. It may result from a stocky build, slow metabolism, or some other physical reason, but it is a fact of life for many people. They will probably struggle with it their entire lives.

But obesity is different. A very miniscule percentage of obese people have medical reasons for their condition. The rest of them just cannot stop shoveling the food in long enough to see the consequences of their actions.

How many times have you been in a restaurant or at a party and watched an obviously obese person shoveling in the food and drinking a diet soda? Do they think the diet soda will make all that fat and calories go away? It doesn't work that way.

Please understand that the following suggestions are only the beginning of a very long and bumpy road to recovery. But even the longest journey begins with a single step.

1. PUT DOWN THAT TWINKIE! Someone, right this minute, is probably reading this article and eating something fattening. If not, it has probably been less that an hour since they have last eaten.

Before they can recover from their problem, they have to admit that they have one. And that Twinkie is the first sign.
If this is you and you feel that you absolutely must eat something, get some fresh fruit or vegetables. They not only contain the essential nutrients that your body needs for good health, but some will actually burn more calories that they replace.

2. See your doctor. If you are more than 50 pounds overweight, only a fool would recommend any diet plan until you are medically cleared by your physician.

Your doctor can also advise you on the best programs to help you get started.

This cannot be emphasized enough. Once you have eliminated the fattening foods, see your doctor before going one step farther.

3. Consider seeing a counselor. Is there a deep seated, subconscious reason for your eating disorder or are you just a pig? The answers may surprise you.

Once you discover the reasons for your self destructive behavior, you will be better equipped to handle them.

If you cannot afford counseling, talk to a trusted friend or, if you are a religious person, perhaps someone at your church.

They may not be able to diagnose your problem, but they can be there for you when you encounter those bumps in the road to recovery.

The bottom line is this. Being fit not only will increase the likelihood of a longer life, it will make that life much more pleasant.

Maybe it's time you stopped looking for sympathy and give yourself a swift kick in the pants.

Medicare Is Missing The Obesity Target

On July 16, 2004 the headline posted all over America was "WASHINGTON (AP) -- Medicare now recognizes obesity as an illness, a change in policy that may allow millions of overweight Americans to make medical claims for treatments such as stomach surgery and diet programs." (cnn.com)

It was almost impossible to miss this story, since it was plastered on virtually every front page in the nation and received heavy rotation on all the major news networks.

The government representative in front of the cameras said all the right things about the dangers of excess body fat: Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson said, "Obesity is a critical public health problem in our country that causes millions of Americans to suffer unnecessary health problems and to die prematurely."

Treating obesity-related illnesses results in billions of dollars in health care costs, Thompson said.

"With this new policy, Medicare will be able to review scientific evidence in order to determine which interventions improve health outcomes for seniors and disabled Americans who are obese," Thompson told a Senate panel on Thursday. (end quote from cnn.com)

That is all 100% true and accurate; obesity DOES cause a multitude of health problems in the United States and around the world. Fitness professionals around the nation have joined together in congratulating the Department of Health & Human Services in finally taking a much more pro-active role in obesity prevention.

However, we must take issue with what appears to be the main focus of this new initiative: fat loss results through surgery. On July 21, 2004 the Idaho Press Tribune (idahopress.com) ran a much more in-depth story on this issue (written by Mark Sherman of The Associated Press). In part, this story stated that "Now willing to pay for a treatment that works, Medicare is shunning fad diets to focus on one of the more radical solutions, stomach bypass surgery. Despite the claims of various diets and surgical procedures, most researchers agree that no approach to weight reduction has been proven to be effective over the long haul.....officials said they would consider paying for something, but only something that can be shown to work."

We are shocked and dismayed that anyone at the Department of Health & Human Services would not automatically endorse and promote exercise as the number one proven remedy for obesity!

Please understand that we are not discounting the effectiveness of stomach bypass surgery. On the contrary, it is perhaps the best solution for some people. However, for the vast majority of Americans, regular cardiovascular and resistance exercise is will provide much better and long-lasting results.

Further along in the article from The Associated Press we find this quote: "Some health plans subsidize gym memberships, but it is unlikely that Medicare would, despite the undeniable benefits of exercise." The folks at Medicare just don't seem to get it. They're missing the obvious solution to obesity.

The plain and simple fact of the matter is that liposuction, stomach bypass surgery, and other surgical forms of obesity control do not convey the same benefits as exercise. That is an undisputed fact. Yes, fat-loss surgical procedures work for some people and have even saved lives. If you think you may be a candidate, then by all means please talk it over with your physician. Odds are good that your doctor will discuss it with you and then recommend (prescribe?) a healthier diet and regular exercise.

There are two basic reasons why exercise is superior to fat-loss surgery. First, the simple act of removing fat from your body does not make your heart healther (as exercise does). Surgically taking fat off your body (via liposuction) will also not prevent diabetes or hypertension (as exercise does). In short, although surgical procedures will make you healther they will not convey the same benefits as regular exercise.

The second reason that exercise is superior to surgical solutions is that we must change our behavior if we are to make life-long changes in our body composition. Think about it. What if we could magically take 20 lbs. of fat off our body today? Poof! It's gone. Now doesn't that feel (and look) good? What will happen if we don't change our diet or activity level....will that 20 lbs. come back? Of course! Similar to the yo-yo diets many of us have experienced, without permanent changes to our lifestyle and/or dietary habits, permanent change is next to impossible.

So, while we applaud the folks at Medicare for their added emphasis on obesity, we are alarmed that exercise will not (for the time being, at least) play a role in their new initiative. In the meantime, let's continue to work out regularly and try to keep our diets 'clean'. Let's talk to our doctors about our goals.....the odds are good that they'll continue to recommend regular exercise and a healthy diet.

Simple Tips For Managing Obesity

Obesity management: Simple tips to try at home

1. Do not set very high goals. Target a reasonable weight loss of 1/2 kg - 1 kg per week.
2. Adapt family meals to specific needs by adjusting method of preparation and reducing addition of fats.
3. Avoid binges. If you overeat due to social pressures, adjust other meals of the day or of the next day.
4. While eating outside home, select simply prepared items rather than combination dishes. Avoid fried foods, select fruits as desserts rather than ice-creams, puddings, etc.
5. Spread food throughout the day to meet energy needs.
6. Follow a gradual approach to exercise to get the most benefits.
7. Exercise regularly at a comfortable pace.
8. Select varied exercises that you enjoy and those that fit your personality and your work schedule.
9. Encourage your family and friends to support you and join you in your activity. It is best to inculcate healthy habits in your children when they are young.
10. Challenge yourself. Set short-term and long-term goals and celebrate every success.
11. Do not be discouraged by plateaus. They often occur after some weight loss. Get started again by increasing your exercise.

Health Hazards Of Obesity

Obesity, a worldwide phenomenon, today has surged to become one of the most deadly enemies of mankind, afflicting mostly the rich and the affluent. Obese in simple terms means excess body weight, usually in the absence of an underlying disease, except in a small number of cases where the condition originates from hormonal disturbances.

The terms overweight and obese are used synonymously by the commoner; however, there is some difference at the clinical level. A person can be considered overweight if his body weight is 10-19 per cent more than the normal or ideal body weight. However, when the body weight of a person is 20 per cent or more than his ideal body weight, he is considered obese. As we have seen previously, the ideal body weight for a person depends on his height, sex, age and body frame.

Thus, obesity is a condition of excess body weight and is usually the result of excess accumulation of fat in the body. When energy intake is persistently greater than energy expenditure, the result is gradual accumulation of fat deposits in the adipose tissue depots. Obesity does not happen in a day or a week. It is a gradual process taking place at snails pace when the individual constantly maintains a positive energy balance. A positive energy balance is usually the result of excessive energy intake.

High calorie and high fat foods pamper our taste buds to an extent that most individuals find it difficult to refrain from them in spite of being aware of their nutrient composition. The ignorant certainly cannot be blamed.

The other major culprit is modern urban life mechanisation and dependence on different tools has made life easy and increasingly sedentary. This has lead to the lowering of activity levels, of daily energy expenditure and thus of our total daily caloric needs. Increased calorie intake due to consumption of processed foods and decreased activity levels have together taken a toll, increasing the prevalence of obesity. Sometimes, of course obesity may also be the result of an interplay of hormones.

Obesity jeopardizes an individuals health in more ways than one. It imperils both body and mind of an obese individual. An obese individuals distorted body shape and appearance can be a source both of humiliation and discomfort. Many obese people complain of pain in the joints and may develop arthritis (osteoarthritis) because they have overburdened their knees and joints with their excess body weight. This is the most obvious health hazard that obesity invokes.

Obesity has been associated with a wide range of health problems. It contributes to increasing levels of lipids (fat) and cholesterol in the blood (hyperlipidemia and hypercholesterolemia respectively), leading to narrowing of blood vessels due to deposition of fatty materials in coronary arteries (atherosclerosis). This in turn causes the blood pressure levels to soar (hypertension) and increases the risk of heart attack (myocardial infarction) and strokes.

Obesity increases the risk of diabetes because it
increases insulin resistance leading to glucose intolerance. Weight reduction helps many diabetic patients in controlling their diabetes. Obesity can also lead to pregnancy related and surgical complications.
Obese individuals are also more likely to develop cancer. Certain cancers such as cancers of the gall bladder, endometrium, ovary, breasts and cervix in women, and cancers of the colon and prostate in men have been associated with excess body weight.

Extreme obesity can also cause respiratory insufficiency (hypoventilation) and may even result in sudden death during sleep. Thus, because of its association with several diseases, obesity decreases life
expectancy.