BMI and Being Overweight

You know you are overweight when you look at yourself in the mirror. But the mirror does not tell you by how much you are overweight and how much weight you need to lose. One measure of how much you should weigh is by calculating your Body Mass Index, or BMI. This index gives you the relationship of your weight to your height.

Here is the formula:

Your BMI = [(your Weight)/(your Height x your Height)] x 705

If you weight 143 lbs and are 64 inches tall, then

your BMI = [(143) / (64 x 64)] x 705 = 26.2.

Based on the norm, a BMI of 26.2 is overweight.

You are underweight if your BMI is less than 18.5·

Your weight is ideal when your BMI is between 18.5 and 24.9.

You are overweight if your BMI is between 25 and 29.9·

You are slightly obese if your BMI falls between 30 and 34.9·

You are obese when your BMI is between 35 and 39.9·

And you are very obese if your BMI is greater than 40,

If we consider the norm for BMI to be 21.5, then you can calculate approximately how much weight you should lose by changing things around using the same BMI formula.

Hence, your ideal weight would be:

Your ideal Weight = [(normal BMI / 705) x (your Height x your Height)]

For the example above if you have a BMI = 26.2 and the normal BMI number = 21.5, then,

(your ideal Weight) = [(21.5/705) x (64 x 64)] = 124.91. Hence, you should weigh 124.91 lbs.

That means you need to lose (143 -124.9) lbs = 18.1 lbs.

Try to get your BMI below 25. If it is below this threshold, you can expect to have good heath if you are eating the right kinds of food and exercising regularly.

If your BMI is greater than 28, you are more likely to have cardiovascular diseases, diabetes and many other diseases related to a toxic colon.

Keep track of your waistline. Your waistline, if you are a man, should be less than 35 inches. For women it should be less than 30 inches. As your waistline gets larger you become more susceptible to diseases, especially for men. This is because your vital organs like your liver and kidneys are around your waistline area.

Of course, waistlines are going to vary because people have different shapes. But you know if your waistline too big for your shape.

Besides your waistline, you should also measure bust/chest, hips, and thighs. This gives you an indication of how your body is changing and whether you are losing fat and/or gaining muscle.