Delayed healing from trauma or surgery with increased risk of complications. Weakened immune system and higher risk of infection. What are the possible health effects of having a low BMI?īeing underweight is a health risk as well and poses you at risk for the following conditions: Several different cancers, including colon, kidney, endometrial and breast cancer. What are the possible health effects of having a high BMI?īeing overweight or obese puts you at a greater risk of developing several diseases. For this reason, older adults will have higher fat percentage when compared to younger adults with the same BMI. Africans and African American tend to have lower fat percentage compared to Caucasians with the same BMI.Īs we age, we lose lean body mass, a process known as sarcopenia. Asians tend to have higher fat percentage compared to Caucasians with the same BMI. Healthy BMI ranges have been found to vary according to a person’s ethnic group. 95 th percentile means that 95% of the people in the same age and gender reference group will have a lower BMI. 5 th percentile means that 95% of the people in the same age and gender reference group will have a higher BMI. In general, a child in the 5 th percentile is considered underweight and one in the 95 th percentile is considered obese. BMI in children and teenagersįor teens and children between 2 and 19 years of age, the BMI is calculated using the same formula the adults use, but the result is interpreted based on percentiles for the same age and gender reference group. Nevertheless, when it comes to body fat percentage (BF%) it is normal for women to have a higher BF% than men, due to human physiology and differences among the two sexes such as hormonal functions and pregnancy energy demands. There is no difference in the way the BMI is calculated among men or women, nor there is any difference in how the result is evaluated. In general, a healthy BMI range for the Asian population is considered to be between 18.5 and 23.0 but depending from the specific region of the Asian continent it may be slightly higher or lower. Moreover, in the Asian population the BMI categories established by the World Health Organization (WHO) are different from those for the general population: this is because from the data collected over the years, it appears that Asians generally have a higher body fat percentage when compared to Caucasians of the same age, gender and BMI. Between 16.0-16.9: moderate underweightĪs said before, the BMI does not take into account several factors and variables for example, professional athletes with high muscle mass may have a body mass index that falls into the overweight or obese category, even though their body fat percentage is low and their disease risk is low.In the general population, a BMI between 18.5 and 24.9 is considered a healthy BMI. My calculator above this paragraph will calculate the result for you as well as will convert your height from cm to m (metric) and from feet and inches into inches (imperial) for your convenience What is a healthy BMI? Your medical history, family history, lifestyle and other measurements together with the BMI will help in assessing your health risks. Your BMI should be interpreted and not looked at as a single number: while it provides very useful information, you need to look at the bigger picture your doctor will help you understand what the BMI result you obtained means in your specific case and what you can do about it. It provides an estimate based on just two variables, without considering other factors such as age, ethnicity, gender, body composition, fat distribution. The standard BMI should not be used for anyone below 20 years of age, nor in pregnant or lactating women. The Body Mass Index (BMI) measures your estimated body fat taking into account your body weight and your height and is used to determine if your weight is within a healthy range or if poses you at higher risk of developing certain conditions and diseases. Complementary exams and tests to evaluate health status in conjunction with BMI.Alternatives to BMI: other ways to assess body weight and health risks.
What are the possible health effects of having a low BMI?. 
What are the possible health effects of having a high BMI?.
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