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Part 1:
Assessing Your Risk
Assessment of overweight
involves using three key measures:
- body mass index
(BMI)
- waist circumference,
and
- risk factors for
diseases and conditions associated with obesity.
The BMI is a measure of your
weight relative to your height and waist circumference measures
abdominal fat. Combining these with information about your
additional risk factors yields your risk for developing
obesity-associated diseases.
What is Your
Risk?
1. Body Mass Index
(BMI)
BMI is a reliable indicator
of total body fat, which is related to the risk of disease and
death. The score is valid for both men and women but it does have
some limits. The limits are:
- It may overestimate
body fat in athletes and others who have a muscular build.
- It may
underestimate body fat in older persons and others who have
lost muscle mass.
Use the BMI
calculator
or tables to estimate your total body fat.
The BMI score means the following:
| |
BMI |
| UNDERWEIGHT |
BELOW
18.5 |
| NORMAL |
18.5 - 25.9 |
| OVERWEIGHT |
25.0 -
29.9 |
| OBESITY |
30.0 and
Above |
2. Waist
Circumference
Determine your
waist circumference by placing a measuring tape snugly around your
waist. It is a good indicator of your abdominal fat which is another
predictor of your risk for developing risk factors for heart disease
and other diseases. This risk increases with a waist measurement of
over 40 inches in men and over 35 inches in women
The table, Risks of Obesity-Associated Diseases by BMI and Waist
Circumference, provides you with an idea of whether
your BMI combined with your waist circumference increases your risk
for developing obesity associated diseases or conditions.
3. Other
Risk Factors
Besides being overweight or obese, there are additional risk
factors to consider.
RISK
FACTORS |
|
- high blood pressure
(hypertension)
- high LDL-cholesterol ("bad"
cholesterol)
- low HDL-cholesterol ("good"
cholesterol)
- high triglycerides
- high blood glucose (sugar)
- family history of premature
heart disease
- physical inactivity
- cigarette smoking
|
4.
Assessment
For
people who are considered obese (BMI greater than or equal to 30) or
those who are overweight (BMI of 25 to 29.9) and have two or more
risk factors, the guidelines recommend weight loss. Even a small
weight loss (just 10 percent of your current weight) will help to
lower your risk of developing diseases associated with obesity.
Patients who are overweight, do not have a high waist measurement,
and have less than 2 risk factors may need to prevent further weight
gain rather than lose weight.
Talk
to your doctor to see if you are at an increased risk and if you
should lose weight. Your doctor will evaluate your BMI, waist
measurement, and others risk factors for heart disease. People who
are overweight or obese have a greater chance of developing high
blood pressure, high blood cholesterol or other lipid disorders,
type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and certain cancers, and
even a small weight loss (just 10 percent of your current weight)
will help to lower your risk of developing those
diseases. | 
