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As mentioned in last week’s article, many people tie the number on a bathroom scale to what a healthy weight is. But that’s not the real story.
A standard bathroom scale weight reading doesn’t take into account your body composition, so determining your BMI (Body Mass Index) is an important measurement. It determines the amount of body fat as a percentage of total body mass (weight.) Excessive body fat can put you at a greater risk for health problems such as
- high blood pressure
- heart disease
- High LDL counts (the “bad” cholesterol)
- type 2 Diabetes
- Osteoarthritis
- Sleep apnea
BMI—Body Mass Index Calculation
Body mass index is calculated by dividing an individual’s weight in kilograms by his or her height in meters squared.
Example: If you convert a weight of 145lbs to kilograms (66) and height of 5’7″ to metres (1.7) the formula would be 66/(1.7×1.7)=20.8*. Then you would look at the standard BMI chart to see where that measurements falls:
- <18.50 is considered underweight (risk of other clinical problems)
- 18.50-24.99 is considered average
- 25.00-29.99 is considered pre-obese (increased health risks)
- 30.00-34.99 is considered obese class I (moderate health risks)
- 35.00-39.99 is considered obese class II (severe health risks)
- ≥40.00 is considered obese class III (very severe health risks)
However, you can book a London Drugs Nutrition Clinic and get a much more accurate reading of your body composition, as well as important information on healthy eating and physical activity based on Health Canada and Public Health Agency of Canada guidelines.
Distribution of BMI Categories by Sex, Ages 18-79, 2007-2009
The Canadian Health Measures Survey from Statistics Canada looked at the average BMI distribution for the Canadian population back in 2007–2009 with the following findings.
What is YOUR BMI?
The most accurate way to determine your own BMI is to make an appointment with your family doctor, or register for a Nutrition Clinic at London Drugs. You can download the schedule and store information here, and call to book your one-on-one consultation for a nominal fee.
Also, take part in our conversation by following us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/LondonDrugs. We have daily topics that we’d love your thoughts on.
Watch for next week’s article, “Where to Start with Diet and Exercise“
* Because several factors can influence the above calculation, such as body proportion and composition, family health history, etc. it’s best to have a full analysis done by a professional, one part of which would include a BMI measurement.
