Reaching and maintaining a healthy weight is important for overall health. It helps you to look and feel good, gives you more energy to enjoy life and can help prevent and control many diseases and conditions.

Excessive weight can lead to weight-related diseases and other health issues. Being underweight is also a health risk. Body mass index (BMI) is a measure to determine whether one’s weight is in healthy proportion to one’s height. It can be calculated as: body weight in kilograms divided by the square of height in meters (kg/m2).

As per WHO classification for South East Asians – an adult who has a BMI between 23 and 24.9 is considered overweight, an adult who has a BMI of 25 or higher is considered obese ,a BMI below 18.5 is considered underweight, and between 18.5 to 22.9 a healthy weight.

The higher the BMI, the higher the risk for certain diseases such as heart disease, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, type 2 diabetes, gallstones, breathing problems, osteoarthritis, and certain cancers.

BMI can be a helpful tool to determine the general health status for large groups of people but at an individual level it needs additional help to account for the total body fat and its distribution in the body.

Importance of Total Body Fat %

Two people with the same BMI may have different body compositions. One may have more muscle mass and less fat percentage indicative of being healthy while the other one may have more fat percentage and less lean mass indicative of being less healthy.

Importance of FAT distribution

Two people may have the same BMI but different fat distribution and thereby health risks. One may have a “pear shaped” body with fat accumulation around hips and thighs while the other may have a “apple-shaped” body with fat accumulation around the waist.

A larger waist circumference indicates an accumulation of fat inside the abdominal cavity and around important organs ( visceral fat).This fat is metabolically active and releases fatty acids, inflammatory agents and hormones that ultimately lead to higher LDL cholesterol, triglycerides, blood glucose and blood pressure. Waist circumference is an indicator of visceral fat, which poses the most significant health risk. Men should have a Waist circumference less than 90 cm and women less than 80 cm to reduce the health risk of developing type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease.

Ideal Waist Circumference

In people who are not even overweight, but have a large waist may mean that they are at higher risk of health problems than someone with a trim waist.

How to measure your waist at home

Follow the below mentioned steps for measuring your waist.

1. Remove clothing around the abdomen.
2. Stand with feet close together and body weight evenly distributed.
3. Hold the stretch resistant tape between the top of the hipbone and the bottom of the ribs.
4. Breathe out normally.
5. Bring the tape around the waist.
6. Record the measurement.

Do not hold the tape too tight and ensure the tape measure is straight around the back. Relaxed posture is the best for taking waist measurement.

BMI should always be used with other health indicators such as body composition and waist circumference to determine a complete picture of the health status of an individual, in order to formulate an accurate action plan. Maintaining a healthy body fat percentage and appropriate waist circumference not only adds to one’s overall fitness but also keeps susceptibility to various diseases low.