One of the problems many face is a lack of knowledge of various components of weight loss. The first step in your weight loss effort is calculating your body mass index, shortly BMI.

Body mass index (BMI) is a number calculated from a person’s weight and height. BMI is a reliable indicator of body fat for people. BMI does not measure body fat directly, but research has shown that BMI correlates with direct measures of body fat. BMI can be considered an alternative for direct measurements of body fat. In addition, BMI is an inexpensive and easy to perform method of detecting weight categories that can cause health problems.

Other methods for measuring body fat include skinfold thickness measurements (with calipers), underwater weighing, bioelectrical impedance, dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA), and computed tomography. However, these methods are not always available and are expensive or require highly trained personnel.

How is your BMI calculated?

1. Gather some household supplies to find your body mass index (BMI): your bathroom scale; a measuring stick; pencil, paper and calculator.

2. Weigh yourself on your bathroom scale. (The following formula is calculated in pounds).

3. Measure your height in inches with the measuring stick.

4. Use a pencil, paper, and calculator to perform the following BMI calculation.

5. Take your height in inches and square the number (that is, multiply the number of inches by the same number of inches).

6. Divide your weight in pounds by the second figure (your height in inches squared).

7. Multiply that answer by 703. The answer is your body mass index.

8. Judge your personal BMI result against the following scale:

o A BMI of less than 18 means you are underweight.

o A BMI of less than 18.5 indicates that you are slim for your height.

o A BMI between 18.6 and 24.9 indicates that you are at a healthy weight.

o A BMI between 25 and 29.9 suggests that you are overweight for your height.

o A BMI of 30 or more indicates obesity. If you are obese, try consulting a doctor or losing weight.

How reliable is BMI as an indicator of body fat?

The correlation between body mass index and body fat is quite strong; however, the correlation varies by sex, race, and age. These variations include the following examples:

* With the same BMI, women tend to have more body fat than men.

* With the same BMI, older people, on average, tend to have more body fat than younger adults.

* Highly trained athletes may have a high BMI due to increased muscle rather than increased body fat.

It is also important to remember that BMI is only one factor related to the risk of disease. To assess the likelihood of someone developing diseases related to being overweight or obesity, two other factors are important:

* The individual’s waist circumference (because abdominal fat is a predictor of risk for obesity-related diseases).

* Other risk factors that the individual has for diseases and conditions associated with obesity (for example, high blood pressure or physical inactivity).

If an athlete or other person with a lot of muscle has a BMI greater than 25, is that person still considered overweight?

According to the BMI weight status categories, anyone with a BMI greater than 25 would be classified as overweight and anyone with a BMI greater than 30 would be classified as obese.

However, it is important to remember that BMI is not a direct measure of body fat and that BMI is calculated from a person’s weight, which includes both muscle and fat. As a result, some people may have a high BMI but not have a high percentage of body fat. For example, highly trained athletes may have a high BMI due to increased muscle rather than increased body fat. Although some people with a BMI in the overweight range (25.0 to 29.9) may not have excess body fat, most people with a BMI in the obese range (equal to or greater than 30) they will have higher levels of body fat.

Do you need to lose weight?

If you are an adult and have a BMI of 30 or more, you should lose weight regardless of your waist measurement. Also, if you have a BMI between 25 and 30 high waist measurements, you also need to lose weight. What is the best way to lose weight fast?

Changes in diet and increased physical activity are the main ways to lose weight. Medications and surgery are reserved for extremely obese people or those who already have complications from obesity. Both modalities have significant side effects,

A brisk 30-minute walk helps reduce weight, as well as provides other health benefits. You can lose an extra half pound per week. Although it is beneficial and recommended, not everyone can do it.

Therefore, changes in diet form the main therapy for weight loss. Having a low-carb, low-fat, or starvation diet doesn’t work or is just plain bad for you. Not only are pre-pack diet programs bad, they’re expensive, too. The best way to lose weight fast is to have a diet program that is easy for everyone in need to follow, that does not starve you and keep you dissatisfied, that helps you lose weight quickly, that has a flexible plan allowing you to have thousands of different diet combinations.

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