Measures of Obesity

Question 1

What is meant by ‘BMI’?

Answer 1

Body Mass Index

Question 2

What is the use of BMI?

Answer 2

To determine whether someone is underweight, normal, overweight or obese

Question 3

What is the equation to calculate a person’s BMI?

Answer 3

Question 4

Explain the effect exercise and diet have on a person’s BMI.

Answer 4

• If you eat a high fat/high sugar diet and do little exercise, you’re likely to take in more energy than you use
• The excess energy is stored as fat, so you’re more likely to have a high BMI and be obese

Question 5

Explain why BMI isn’t always a reliable measure of obesity.

Answer 5

• Some people have lots of muscle, which has a higher mass than fat
• Therefore, they can come out with a high BMI even though they’re not overweight

Question 6

What is the equation to calculate waist-to-hip ratio?

Answer 6

Question 7

What does waist-to-hip ratio show?

Answer 7

The higher your waist-to-hip ratio, the more weight you’re likely to be carrying around your abdomen

Question 8

Being abdominally obese puts a person at a greater risk of developing obesity-related health problems.

What is meant by ‘abdominal obesity’?

Answer 8

When a person’s weight distribution is around their abdomen