Are You Overweight? Check Your Risk By Knowing Your BMI (Body Mass Index) And, Your Waist Circumference

At the start of the 21st century, almost 108 million adult Americans were overweight or obese. If you are overweight or obese, carrying this extra weight puts you at risk for developing many diseases, especially heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and cancer. Losing this weight helps to prevent and control these diseases.

According to the NHLBI guidelines, assessment of overweight involves using three key measures:

• body mass index (BMI) • waist circumference, and • risk factors for diseases and conditions associated with obesity.

The BMI is a measure of your weight relative to your height and waist circumference measures abdominal fat. Combining these with information about your additional risk factors yields your risk for developing obesity-associated diseases.

What is Your Risk?

1. Body Mass Index (BMI)

BMI is a reliable indicator of total body fat, which is related to the risk of disease and death. The score is valid for both men and women but it does have some limits. The limits are:

• It may overestimate body fat in athletes and others who have a muscular build.

• It may underestimate body fat in older persons and others who have lost muscle mass.

Use the BMI Chart below to estimate your Body Mass Index. Simply slide the scale to your height and weight to see your BMI number change (you can also slide the scale to the weight you want to be -- a goal weight!). The BMI score means the following:

Underweight: Below 18.5 BMI

Normal: 18.5 - 24.9 BMI

Overweight: 25.0 - 29.9 BMI

Obesity: 30.0 and Above BMI



2. Waist Circumference

Determine your waist circumference by placing a measuring tape snugly around your waist. It is a good indicator of your abdominal fat which is another predictor of your risk for developing risk factors for heart disease and other diseases. This risk increases with a waist measurement of over 40 inches in men and over 35 inches in women.

3. Other Risk Factors

Besides being overweight or obese, there are additional risk factors to consider.

• high blood pressure (hypertension)

• high LDL-cholesterol ("bad" cholesterol)

• low HDL-cholesterol ("good" cholesterol)

• high triglycerides

• high blood glucose (sugar)

• family history of premature heart disease

• physical inactivity

• cigarette smoking

4. Assessment

For people who are considered obese (BMI greater than or equal to 30) or those who are overweight (BMI of 25 to 29.9) and have two or more risk factors, the guidelines recommend weight loss. Even a small weight loss (just 10 percent of your current weight) will help to lower your risk of developing diseases associated with obesity. Patients who are overweight, do not have a high waist measurement, and have less than 2 risk factors may need to prevent further weight gain rather than lose weight.

Talk to your doctor to see if you are at an increased risk and if you should lose weight. Your doctor will evaluate your BMI, waist measurement, and others risk factors for heart disease. People who are overweight or obese have a greater chance of developing high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol or other lipid disorders, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and certain cancers, and even a small weight loss (just 10 percent of your current weight) will help to lower your risk of developing those diseases.