How Do You Know if You’re Overweight?

           Weight gain is an ever-increasing problem in the West. In America, for example, over 65% of the nation’s adult population is overweight, and 3 out of 4 of adults weigh more than they should. Being overweight is a monumental risk to your wellbeing, and can specifically damage your health with heart disease, which kills 17 million people a year. Yet aside for the obvious physical evidence, how do you know whether you’re overweight and putting your wellness in jeopardy?

One way to know if you are overweight is to calculate your Body Mass Index, or BMI. This is an equation you can do yourself:

BMI = (weight X 703) ÷ height in inches²

Or, to elaborate, multiply your weight by 703 and multiply your height in inches by itself (or square it). Then divide the first number by the second number and you have your BMI. You’re aiming for a BMI of 19-25 as anything under that means you’re underweight and anything over means you’re overweight. If your BMI is over 40, you’re obese. Unless you’re in the healthy weight group of 19-25, you need to start seeing your doctor for nutritional facts and a weight loss plan.

If your BMI is over 25, your wellbeing is at risk to many diseases such as Type two diabetes. 80% of people with diabetes are overweight, and are at risk of losing limbs, blindness, kidney and nerve disease, amputation, and even death. High blood pressure is also among these adults who are overweight, and Osteoarthritis is another threat which causes soreness and stiffness in the joints in the body. Weight loss can combat these problems, as well as the sleep apnea, and respiratory problems that many overweight people face. Even losing 10% of your body weight greatly reduces these risks, and ensuring your children get enough great nutrition can help make sure they aren’t at risk either.