Part 1: Assessing
Your Risk
According to the NHLBI guidelines, 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 |
Below 18.5 |
18.5 - 24.9 |
25.0 - 29.9 |
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.
Continue
to Part 2 to find out how to lose and control your weight.
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