![]() ![]() The formula is: weight divided by height squared. What is the body mass index (BMI) and how do you calculate it?īody mass index (BMI) is calculated using your height and weight. It is normal for women to have more body fat than men and for a person’s amount of body fat to increase with age. In women, a healthy body fat percentage is between 20% and 35%. What is a healthy body fat percentage?Ī healthy body fat level depends on many factors and is often determined by gender and age. The amount of body fat you have depends on many factors, including your age, gender, and ethnicity. This type of fat helps with regulating body temperature, cushions the body, and can store energy. Subcutaneous fat is the fat that is under the skin. Abdominal fat, also called visceral fat, is the fat surrounding organs in the abdomen and is associated with medical conditions like diabetes and high blood pressure. It raises the risk of some health conditions, including: It performs important functions like making hormones, regulating your body temperature, and storing vitamins and nutrients.īut too much body fat can cause health problems. What is body fat and why does it matter?īody fat is necessary for survival. ![]() But using other body fat measurements - from a simple waist measurement to smart scales - may be a better way to determine your health and risk factors. The BMI is used because it’s free and easy to calculate. For example, having central body fat in the abdomen and around the organs is associated with health problems like diabetes and heart disease.īut how can you know how much body fat you have and what it means for your health?ĭespite what you may have been told, the body mass index, or BMI, is not the best way to tell how much fat you have. But it may not matter as much as what makes up your weight (fat versus muscle) or where your fat is located. Contact Goshen Physicians to set up an appointment with a primary care provider.Your weight matters. Your doctor can help determine if your weight is causing health problems or putting you at risk for certain diseases. If you work out regularly, body fat percentage should be calculated periodically to provide a more accurate picture of your health and fitness. In comparison to body fat percentage, BMI gives a good idea of an individual’s risk of weight-related diseases quickly and easily. Other more accurate methods, such as X-ray analysis and water displacement, are much more complicated and not readily available. The two most common methods (skin fold measurement and bioelectrical impedance analysis) are often used in homes and gyms, but the accuracy of each varies and the error rates can be as high as eight percent. The downfall of body fat percentage as a measurement is that the methods of determining a person’s body fat percentage are not all equal, and the most accurate methods are not readily available. The American Council on Exercises provides the following ranges for body fat percentage for adults. Likewise, a person of normal weight on the BMI scales may still be overfat and at risk of weight-related diseases. Using body fat percentage, we might find that a highly trained athlete is overweight, according to theīMI, but not overfat. While BMI is a rough estimate of body fat, body fat percentage is a more accurate number. Body fat percentage distinguishes fat from muscle and calculates the percentage of body fat in the body. Research on body fat percentage has improved in recent years, and in some cases, this measurement may provide a better picture of an individual’s risk of weight-related diseases than BMI. A person who has normal weight obesity is just as unhealthy as someone with a high BMI. According to some research, more than half of Americans have a normal BMI but a high body fat percentage, which is known as normal weight obesity. The limitation of BMI is that this measurement does not distinguish fat from muscle. (To determine your BMI, click here.) The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention provide the following ranges for BMI values for adults: ![]() As BMI increases, so does the risk of developing these and other weight-related diseases, including stroke and some cancers.īMI is a measurement of body fat based on height. BMI is used to assess risk for diseases, especially heart disease and diabetes. Body mass index (BMI) and body fat are both measurements used to determine a person's level of personal fitness and gauge their risk for conditions such as heart disease and diabetes.īut what are the differences between these two measurements? Let's take a look.īody mass index, or BMI, has been touted as the most accurate way to determine the effect of a person’s body weight on his or her health. There are more ways to measure a person's fitness than just stepping on a scale. ![]()
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