Several methods have emerged that
investigate body mass in order to obtain an ideal weight and find out how much
a person is overweight or underweight. Body mass index (BMI) is a popular tool
for giving an idea of weight status.
Maintaining an ideal body weight
is important for human health. It is important to eat healthy foods, exercise,
walk, and jog in order to maintain a stable weight and strong muscles.
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| How do you calculate ideal body weight? |
How to Calculate Ideal Body Weight and Maintain a Healthy
Weight
Ideal Body Weight
These days, we are hearing many questions about the ideal weight
and body mass as a result of the development of much unhealthy foods patterns,
fast foods, preservatives, and sweets, in addition to the physiological and
lifestyle changes.
Weight when it is within the healthy range, the body increases the
effectiveness of blood circulation, and controls fluid levels easily.
A person with healthy weight is also less likely to suffer from
many health problems, such as: osteoarthritis, breathing problems, gallstones,
sleep apnea, and some types of cancer.
Being overweight increases the risk of many health problems that
are considered dangerous to human health, including heart disease, strokes,
high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol and diabetes.
Body mass index is considered a normal human guide to a completely
healthy life path, but it should be noted that we do not use it in some physiological
conditions such as pregnancy, and it is not an accurate calculation with
children and adolescents due to irregularity in their hormone levels, and their
physiological changes in an irregular manner.
It is also affected by some medical conditions; Diabetics suffer
from pathological thinness in the case of the first type, and obesity in the
case of type II diabetes, in addition to patients who are treated with
cortisone, which leads to obesity.
Maintaining an ideal body weight is important for
human health. A healthy weight can build muscle tone, improve bone density,
balance and flexibility, and relieve joint pain and it helps lower your risk of
heart disease, diabetes, stroke and high blood pressure and also lower the risk
of many different cancers.
It is important to exercise, walk, and jog in order to maintain a
stable weight, strong muscles, and reduce weight for those who suffer from
obesity.
How to Calculate
Ideal Body Weight
The ideal weight depends on a combination of factors. Such as height,
sex, composition of both fat and muscle, and body shape. It is possible to know
a healthy body weight depending on several methods.
Several methods and equations have emerged that investigate body
mass in order to obtain an ideal weight and find out how much a person is
overweight or underweight.
For example, Broca Formula (1871), ( also known as Broca's index) which states that the ideal body weight is equal to the
length of -100.
Explanation of the
Broca Index
The Broca Index is a measure of the normal weight of a person
using a height measurement only which was developed by a French physician Paul
Broca (1824-1880).
- The Broca formula for
the normal weight is: Body height in centimeters minus 100.
- The Broca formula for
the ideal weight of men is: body size in centimeters minus 100 and deduct
10% from the result.
- The Broca formula for
the ideal weight of women is: body size in centimeters minus 100 and
deduct 15% from the result.
Then other methods appeared such as Devine, Hamwi,
Miller, and many methods whose results contained a high error rate, but one
method has proven its efficacy accurately, which is the equation of BMI (Body
Mass Index), which appeared in the nineteenth century by the scientist Adolphe
Quetelet.
Explanation of Body
Mass Index
Body mass index (BMI) is a measure of body fat using a person's
height and weight.
Body mass index is a popular tool for giving an
idea of weight status and is based on calculating a person's weight in
relation to their height.
Body Mass Index (BMI) = a person's weight (kg) / height squared
Example: A person who is 1.8 m tall and weighs 75 kg needs to know
his body mass index, so how?
To begin with, we square the length: 1.8 x 1.8 = 3.24 m 2. Divide
the weight by the square of the height: 75 ÷ 3.24 = 23.15. This last number
(23.15) is the person's body mass index.
Body Mass Index is used to broadly define different weight groups
in adults 20 years old or older. The same groups apply to both men and women.
- If your BMI is less
than 18.5, you are within the underweight range.
- If your BMI is 18.5
to 24.9, you are within the normal or Healthy Weight range.
- If your BMI is 25.0
to 29.9, you are within the overweight range.
- If your BMI is 30.0
or higher, you are within the obese range.
It should be noted that BMI method does not depend
on the amount of fat and its distribution in the body, as well as the muscle
and its distribution.
For example, the level of the index may be high for athletes; This
is due to the high muscle mass and not the fat mass. In this case, this does
not mean that they are overweight.
The index may also be low for the elderly and other people who
have experienced muscle loss, not fat, and therefore it should not be relied
upon only as a measure of weight status.
How to Maintain a Healthy Weight
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How to Maintain a Healthy Weight |
Diets are not considered a sustainable way to lose weight. As it depends on temporary patterns of meals, and thus it provides temporary results, in addition to the fact that most people regain their lost weight when returning to their old eating habits. Therefore, the best weight loss and maintenance strategy are to make healthy lifestyle changes. Make new and healthy habits instead of unhealthy eating habits.
The body mass index is
directly proportional to the body weight, which means that we can maintain an
appropriate weight by following our diet and the nature of the food we eat.
Specialists advise
avoiding animal oils and fats, proteins, and red meat and reducing them as much
as possible, and working to replace them with vitamins, minerals, and various
plant sources. It is also advised not to eat large quantities of sugars, sweets
and soft drinks.
It is also worth noting
the importance of reviewing nutritionists, as the specialist can calculate the
distribution of fat in the body and thus prescribe a suitable diet for each
body.
The following points
show some tips to achieve healthy and ideal weight:
Exercise: Regular physical activity helps to burn
calories and builds muscles, which helps to feel comfortable and contributes to
maintaining weight.
Simple daily activities
can be introduced and gradually increased in intensity, and then continued, in
addition to adding some strength exercises to build muscles.
Reduce screen time: People who spend a lot of time in front of
electronic screens are more likely to gain weight, as this is associated with
decreased physical activity and not getting enough sleep.
Eat five portions of
fruits and vegetables daily: Fruits and vegetables are a rich source of fiber that helps
in feeling full, which reduces the risk of overeating.
Do not ignore breakfast: Breakfast helps start the metabolism
process, burn calories in the body, and it gives energy to perform more
activities during the day. This meal prevents the feeling of excess hunger that
leads to overeating during the day.