Measures Of Obesity Flashcards
what is the body mass index used as
a guide to help decide whether someone is underweight, normal, overweight or obese
what is the formula for working out someones BMI
BMI = weight / height^2
what are the units for BMI, weight and height
- BMI is measured in kg / m^2 or kg m^-2
- weight is measured in kg
- height is measured in m
what is the BMI for someone who is underweight
18.5 and below
what is the BMI for someone who is normal
18.5 to 24.9
what is the BMI for someone who is overweight
25 to 29.9
what is the BMI for someone who is moderately obese
30 to 40
what is the BMI for someone who is severely obese
40 and above
calculate the BMI of someone who weighs 63kg and is 1.7m tall. is the person overweight?
- BMI = weight / height^2
- 63 / 1.7^2 = 21.8 kg m^-2
- the person is not overweight as their BMI lies in the normal weight range
why are you likely to have a high BMI and be obese if you eat a high fat and sugar diet and dont exercise enough
- because youre more likely to take in more energy than you use
- this excess energy is stored as fat
- causing you to gain weight which increases your BMI
why isnt the BMI always a reliable measure of obesity
- for example, athletes have a lot of muscle
- which weighs more than fat
- so they can come out with a high BMI score even though they are not overweight
what is the formula used to work out someones waist-to-hip ratio
waist-to-hip ratio = waist circumference / hip circumference
what are the units for waist and hip circumference
cm for both
what does a higher waist-to-hip ratio indicate
the increase in the likelihood that youre carrying more weight around your middle section
what is the waist-to-hip ratio for men and women which indicates that youre carrying too much weight around your middle
- a ratio above 1.0 for males
- and a ratio above 0.85 for females
