What Is BMI (Body Mass Index)?

Body mass index (BMI) is a number derived from a person's weight and height that is often used in an attempt to quantify how much tissue a person has, and thus categorize whether a person is underweight, in the healthy/normal range, overweight, or obese. Although, there are many criticisms of BMI being used for this purpose (some of which are valid - see below), its simplicity and easy of calculation (plus the fact it needs only easily obtainable data to calculate), has made it into a popular and widespread measure.

BMI is calculated by dividing the person's weight (measured in kilograms) by the square of their height (measured in meters), and thus has units of kg per meter squared. In situations where a person's weight and/or height is measured in other units (such as weight in pounds, or height in inches), a conversion table or chart can be used. Alternatively, there are many online BMI calculators, many of them free, which can calculate BMI regardless of whether metric or English units are used.

Generally accepted BMI ranges are as follows:

Under 18.5 - underweight
18.5 to 25 - normal
25 to 30 - overweight
Over 30 - obese
That said, these ranges do vary depending on the specific population being studied, and have also been debated and adjusted over time. For example, about 23 is the recommended normal upper limit for Southeast Asian body types, and prior to 1998, the United States used a upper limit of 27.8 as the top of the normal range.

Additionally, regardless of the exact ranges used, BMI is a very imperfect measure of obesity:

The results are not generally considered valid for children or pregnant women
BMI takes no account of frame size.
BMI takes improper account of height: it can mislead shorter people into thinking they are thinner than they actually are, and taller people into thinking they are fatter than they actually are.
BMI uses total tissue mass, and takes no account of whether that mass is fat or muscle. An athlete with a large amount of muscle mass (who may appear overweight on the BMI scale) is in reality in a very different situation from a less active overweight person with a large amount of fat.
So, given its limitations does that mean BMI is useless? Not at all, for many people it can give a useful idea of where they stand, even if it is not completely accurate. Of course, as said, it's not applicable in all circumstances - so if you feel that BMI does not provide you with useful information, you might want to look into alternate measures of body fat.

For more information about weight loss and BMI, including a free BMI calculator please visit Guide2WeightLoss.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Sunil_Tanna/8883

Slimming Down - It's Never Been Easier!

Most of us are conscious about good looks

Some even fantasize about the same. They wonder where the good looks come from. What is the origin of good looks?

Sometimes they wonder why is it that their friend looks so good while they don't. They keep trying to figure out but never realize the truth.

But it is really simple. Hey, we live in the same world! So what works great for your best friend is sure to work for you as well.

It really starts with self grooming. So if you are well groomed, it does the trick. A bright and glowing skin would take you far ahead in life.

In the same way, if you are well in a position to conquer something like an acne outbreak, it would do well to see you through almost anything in life.

This not just promotes self confidence, but boosts the feel good factor and self esteem up by many degrees.

Then, one needs to take care that one dresses up smartly. Be fashionably dressed, and you'd be more eye catching in all places. So it is even about smart investment in clothing. The famous saying goes that if your hair is done properly and you have good shoes on, you can get away with almost anything.

But it can sometimes get a shade more complicated than that.

Sometimes good looks are also about maintaining a proper physique and a fit body in general.

And at times, one is required to take pains for the same.

People often recommend that one must find time to spend a few hours at the gym. It is more likely than not to work for you. The body would be fitter, higher fitness levels would make your skin glow and you are sure to look as good as anyone else.

But the problem that arises here is finding time for all this. With the busy schedules and routines that we maintain, it sometimes can be difficult to find time for all this.

After a busy day at work, one might not feel like driving down to the gym, and the subscription could at times stand a risk of, let's say, being wasted?

A very practical way to overcome this is choosing to go for home gym equipment which you may choose to use at any time and at any hour of the day as you desire.

In the same way, one could occasionally try going for some dietary supplements for slimming. People are often cautious about the same, but in fact, did you know that if you go for a 100% herbal dietary supplement, this would have almost null chances of causing a side effect.

Moreover, the herbal supplement would reduce appetite and sugar cravings, you'd realize that you lose weight and look so much better than you ever did!

Go for Ab Rocket, the ultimate home gym equipment for a well toned body and even rock solid abs. We got three difficulty levels to suit your convenience.

http://teleskyshopping.com/ab-rocket-home-gym-equipment.html

And go for MetaSlim - The ultimate dietary supplement for weight loss, 100% herbal, no side effects and comes with a slimming oil to apply on fat prone areas of the body.

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Visit TeleSky Shopping today!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Harshad_Jethra/1848126

Body Mass Index and the GM Diet

The human body is like most lazy things are... resistant to change. The body has its own processes due to which, it seems clear that it only takes corrective measures to solve any problems, but never drastic ones. That's the where the actual human mind or conscience comes into play. The human will is the counterpoint to its own stubbornness. To affect any measurable change, a great deal of effort is required to establish a routine that affects a long-term impact on our overall health.

The Body Mass Index is one of the measures of the body's current state with regards the current weight, height, and gender are taken into account. This index gives you a good starting point in assessing your current state and working accordingly.

The Body Mass Index basically indicates four states. These are, underweight, normal, overweight and obese. Your weight is directly relatable on the Index. For instance, some guy who is 5 and a half feet tall should weigh around 69 kilograms to be considered to be midway on the Index i.e. the index value would be around 22. This would be considered ideal.

On the lower end of the Index, values approaching 19 indicate the concerned person is underweight. Index values around 25 are an indication of the concern being overweight. Anything beyond 25 is considered obese.

If we put these values in perspective with any diet plan, we can surely arrive at the conclusion that there are clearly different needs identified by the Body Mass Index Values. Those who are underweight should consider a diet plan focussed on weight gain to bring them to normal levels before they start bulking up in the gym.

For those who are in the ideal zone, need not be on any specific diet plan, they need to continue leading a lifestyle to maintain these levels. This lot should carry on their active lifestyle and maintain their levels.

This lot of people, on the edge of the scale, at around 25 should start thinking about making serious changes to their lifestyles. At this point, this lot of people is at least 20 kilograms or 35-40 pounds off their ideal weight range. These folks are ideal candidates for taking up the GM Diet plan. This diet plan is a short week-long plan, which provides a boost to the body's metabolism and aids in losing up to 7 kilograms or up to 14 pounds. Along with regular exercise and healthy eating habits over a period of time (say 6 months) you should reach your weight goals. Take the precaution of only taking up the GM diet only once a month.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Mohit_Prabhakar/2298279