BMI/Calories- BMI and Body Shape-

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What Are BMI And Body Shape And How Can I Figure Out Mine?

BMI

We've seen wrestlers that come out on the mat-sometimes, they weight the same, but one wrestler is a short, fat guy~the other wrestler is tall, lean and very muscular. Hard to believe they weigh the same. This tells us, that weight is not the best way to determine if you are fat. Muscle weighs more than fat-what if you're really muscular? You'll weigh more. A good way to really know if you are healthy or not is by figuring out your BMI-Body Mass Index

BMI is a measurement of the percentages of fat and muscle mass in your body -Adults use a slightly different formula to determine their BMI. (Body Mass Index.)

To find your BMI (for ages 2-20)

Find your weight in pounds ÷ Height in inches
Divide THAT number by Height in inches, again
Now Multiply by 703 ~ that is your BMI

To find your "Percentile Range" click here

Weight Status Category	Percentile Range
Underweight	Less than the 5^th percentile
Healthy weight	5^th percentile to less than the 85^th percentile
At risk of overweight	85^th to less than the 95^th percentile
Overweight	Equal to or greater than the 95^th percentile

(United States.)

Body Shape

This is another helpful equation to figure out if you are at risk for health problems. Your waist to hip ratio is used to find how fat is distributed around your body. Most people store their body fat in two distinct ways: around their middle (apple shape) or around their hips (pear shape).

Apple Shape:

Generally when people are apple shaped, they carry excess weight around their stomach. This is more risky for your health because body shape and health are linked. Apple shaped people tend to have more problems with heart disease and diabetes

Pear Shape:

These people generally carry their weight around their hips and thighs. This is less risky than the apple body shape.

How you store fat is genetic-you can't "Spot Exercise" to lose weight in a certain place and change the way you store your fat.

“Apple vs. Pear.” Life Span. 2007. 21 May 2007 <http://www.lifespan.org/adam/graphics/images/en/19265.jpg>.

To Find Hip to Waist Ratio

Waist Hip Ratio is calculated by dividing your waist measurement by your hip measurement. (Hips are the widest part of your butt).

The best waist to hip ratio is:

0.8 or less for women
0.95 or less for men (Anne Collins.)

“Waist Not.” Diagram. Dr. Wollard.com. 2007. 29 Apr. 2007 .

Anne Collins. "Healthy Waist-Hip Ratio." Dieting & Weight Loss Questions. 2007. 18 Apr. 2007 http://www.annecollins.com/weight-loss/waist-hip-ratio.htm.

Body Mass Index. (n.d.). The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition. Retrieved April 18, 2007, from Dictionary.com website: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/Body%20Mass%20Index

United States. Department of Health and Human Services. Center for Disease Control. CDC Calculated Body Mass Index Values For Selected Height and Weight for Ages 2-20 Years. Jun. 2000. 19 Apr. 2007 http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/bmi/00binaries/ bmi-tables.pdf.