High body mass index is an important risk factor for the development of type 2 diabetes. Sanada, H., Yokokawa, H., Yoneda, M., Yatabe, J., Sasaki, Y. Association of Body Mass Index With Blood Pressure Among 1.7 Million Chinese Adults. C., Lu, J., Lu, Y., Sun, X., Xu, W., Nasir, K., Schulz, W., Jiang, L., & Krumholz, H. Body mass index and the risk of stroke in men. Association of Body Mass Index With Lifetime Risk of Cardiovascular Disease and Compression of Index and risk of 22 specific cancers: a population-based cohort study of 5♲4 million UK adults. Individuals who carry a substantially high level of lean mass (e.g., bodybuilders or powerlifters) may fall into the overweight or obese category based solely on BMI but may have body fat percentages in the single digits.Ĭonversely, people who carry a minimal amount of lean mass (e.g., highly sedentary people) may fall into the normal/healthy category based solely on BMI but may have levels of body fat that would be considered overweight or obeseīhaskaran, K., Douglas, I., Forbes, H., dos-Santos-Silva, I., Leon, D. However, on an individual level, BMI can be less accurate, and it is best used in conjunction with other data (e.g., body composition tests) in the full assessment of an individual’s weight status. Furthermore, it is a good tool for estimating risk for specific outcomes (e.g., mortality, cardiovascular disease, diabetes). As such, on a population level, BMI can approximate levels of adiposity to a useful degree.
However, it is a tool based on large sample sizes and is primarily used as a risk prediction tool over large numbers of people. Additionally, measuring your waist circumference is another valuable tool in assessing your overall health. It is important to understand that BMI does not discriminate between fat mass and lean mass and does not directly address adiposity (i.e., body fat percentage). Our BMI Calculator offers a convenient way to calculate your BMI in Ireland based on your height and weight. However, oftentimes these discussions fail to understand exactly what BMI is and how best to utilize it as a tool. Those with a BMI of 30 or higher have reported a roughly 2-fold increase in the risk of stroke (Kurth et al., 2002).īMI is often debated as not being a useful tool. Stroke: Stroke is the fifth leading cause of disease among adults in the United States.Some evidence shows that for every unit increase in BMI, there is a 1-2 mmHg increase in blood pressure (Linderman et al., 2018). Hypertension: Hypertension, or elevated blood pressure, is one of the leading modifiable risk factors for cardiovascular disease.For example, higher BMI is associated with higher rates of liver and colon cancer (Bhaskaran et al., 2014). However, BMI is linked to some forms of cancer. Cancer: Cancer is a complicated disease with many different factors leading to its cause.In fact, in some studies, those who have a BMI in the “overweight” category carry a roughly 6-fold higher risk of developing diabetes than those with a normal BMI (Sanada et al., 2012). Diabetes: BMI is one of the most robust predictors of developing diabetes.However, it doesn’t require being in the highest category, even those in the “overweight” category carry a 20% higher risk of having a cardiovascular event (Khan et al., 2018). Some studies show that individuals with the highest classification of BMI have a 3-fold higher risk of having a cardiovascular event than those in the normal BMI category. Cardiovascular Disease: As BMI increases the risk of cardiovascular disease also increases.Here is a list of 5 health risks associated with a high BMI.
This is especially true when BMI is utilized to predict the risk of chronic diseases and many of the leading causes of death. When we look at human health data, BMI is one of the most effective risk prediction tools we have in modern medicine. Lose weight safely, but you should also make an appointment to see your GP.BMI is an incredibly useful tool for risk prediction. NHS Direct can provide you with advice about how to If your BMI is over 30, you need to make some immediate changes to your lifestyle You have an increased risk of developing serious health problems, such as heartĭisease, diabetes, and several forms of cancer. If you have a BMI of over 25, you need to think about losing weight because If your BMI is between 30 and 39.9, you're obese.If your BMI is between 25 and 29.9, you're overweight for your height.If your BMI is between 18.5 and 24.9, you're an ideal weight for your.If your BMI is less than 18.4, you're underweight for your height.
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