The chance of developing 13 types of cancer is linked with increased BMI. Even the slightest amount of weight fluctuation can have life-altering impact on your health. Keeping your health in check with BMI has been the number one suggestion for many years now.
However, the potential health risks that come with it may have always been a blur, not to mention that the drawbacks have always gone unheard. Here’s everything you need to know about BMI, that says a lot about your unforeseen health risks. Also, discover how BMI reflects your health.
What is BMI? How to Calculate BMI
Body Mass Index (BMI) is the calculation of body fat in comparison to one’s body weight and height.
It provides a quick health check to determine whether you’re in balance or at risk. Being underweight, overweight, or obese can lead to potential health risks such as diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, and even depression.
Monitoring your BMI helps you make conscious choices about your lifestyle, diet, and exercise, generally the habits to maintain a healthy balance and reduce any chances of chronic diseases.
Here’s how you can figure your BMI under 30 seconds:
(weight (Pounds) / [height (inches)]2 )×703
These following ranges of numbers tell you whether your health is in check with your current height and body weight.
BMI Categories for adults
| Underweight | 18.5 or less |
| Normal weight | 18.5–24.9 |
| Overweight | 25–29.9 |
| Obesity | 30 or greater |
Underweight BMI Health Risks
Being underweight makes one prone to numerous health deficiencies, starting with a weakened immune system, leading to long-term health damages like Osteoporosis, growth impairment, reproductive challenges and more. It has an impact on your self-image and confidence, affecting emotional well-being.
Here’s some common health risks due to being underweight,
- Osteoporosis: This disease makes one’s bones prone to breaking due to lack of mineral density and mass, and the structure changes with its strength.
- Anemia: A person who is underweight is more likely to have low blood counts, known as anemia, that happens due to low RBC and hemoglobin to accommodate oxygen. Anemia causes fatigue, headaches, dizziness and more.
- Impaired growth: Not enough nutrient supplies to the body hampers growth as well as fails to develop healthy bones. Underweight children lack calories in their body, as a result, they may not develop as expected.
- Skin, hair, or teeth problems: Nutrients are essential for basic living. Insufficient and irregular healthy diets will display physical symptoms of health risks, such as thinning skin, hair loss, dry skin, or poor dental health.
- Getting sick frequently: Lack of nutrients to fight infections, leads to regular illness. Over time, underweight people lose their immune system and energy, making them prone to health danger, They tend to catch colds and fevers easily and struggle to recover.
- Fertility issues: Being underweight can lower a woman’s fertility by disrupting hormone balance, impacting ovulation and her ability to conceive compared to people of normal weight balance.
|
Underweight <18.5 |
Health conditions |
Nutritious food options |
Exercises |
| Osteoporosis, anemia, Impaired growth, | Rich-calorie and high protein food items such as cheese, nut butter, nutritious smoothies, milk, Greek yogurt, whole-grain bread, lean protein like chicken and fish, | strength training exercises like, pullups, Pullups, Squats, Lunges, Bench press, Overhead press. |
How do effectively gain weight?
To gain weight effectively, consider eating more frequently, at least have 5 to 6 smaller meals a day, even if you’re not particularly hungry. Make sure to pay attention to your body’s hunger signals. Always go for nutrient-rich food options and plan meals with high-nutrient, high-calorie foods. Consulting with a dietitian will help for personalized food intake and portion recommendations.
Make a few important lifestyle changes, like getting enough sleep, reducing mental stress, and eliminating smoking or drinking that hampers your weight gain journey.
Last but not the least, engage in strength training exercises to build muscle, which can help stimulate your appetite, effectively weight gain and have a balanced BMI.
Health Issues for Overweight & Obesity
The alarming range between 25-29.9 and 30 or above is the ultimate indication of overweight and obesity, that calls for taking immediate healthier measures. It has huge repercussions for overall health and wellness, including a high risk of chronic conditions such as diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and certain cancers.
Here are some disease that comes with obesity and overweight:
- Type 2 diabetes : Being overweight or obese makes it more likely to get type 2 diabetes. Extra weight makes your body not respond well to insulin, which controls your blood sugar. High blood sugar over time can lead to heart disease, stroke, kidney issues, eye problems, nerve damage, and more health troubles.
- Hypertension: Overweight bodies tend to make the heart pump harder than it usually requires that leads to increased blood pressure, eventually hypertension occurs.
- CVD: Cardiovascular disease includes problems with your heart and blood vessels, like heart attacks and strokes. Extra weight can put more strain on your heart and blood vessels.
- High LDL cholesterol (“bad” cholesterol) & High triglycerides: Carrying extra weight can raise the levels of bad fats in your blood, which can clog your arteries and lead to heart problems.
- High blood glucose (sugar): Extra weight can make it harder for your body to control blood sugar levels, leading to high blood sugar, which is a risk factor for diabetes.
- Gallbladder disease: Obesity increases the risk of gallstone formation, particularly in women with higher BMI. Gallstones, mostly made of cholesterol, form due to imbalances in bile substances. Maintaining a healthy weight is crucial to prevent gallstone development.
- Certain cancer: Cancer is usually caused in association with other diseases and health conditions, however, obesity can increase your chances for about 13 types of cancers, including breast, colon, gallbladder, pancreatic, kidney, and prostate cancer, as well as cancer of the uterus, cervix, endometrium, and ovaries. A one population-based Trusted Source study in 2012 says, approximately 28,000 new cases of cancer in men and 72,000 in women were associated with being overweight or having obesity in the United States.
- Liver disease : Obesity is connected to a range of liver issues known as nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). The severity of liver damage tends to increase with higher BMI levels, leading to liver damages.
- Depression : Obesity often brings on depression, many can face discrimination because of their size, it also decreases productivity and feelings of depression. This could be due to factors like reduced energy levels, physical discomfort, and the psychological impact of societal stigma. Which can lead to feelings of sadness or low self-esteem over time.
- Sleep apnea: Overweight can lead to blockage in your upper airway, such as in the throat or nose, thus your breathing patterns can become irregular. In some cases, this blockage may even cause you to stop breathing altogether for short periods of time. This interruption in breathing, known as sleep apnea, can occur repeatedly throughout the night, leading to disrupted sleep and potentially serious health consequences.
|
Overweight: BMI Score (25–29.9) Obesity: BMI Score (30 or greater) |
Health conditions |
Nutritious food options |
Exercises |
| Type 2 diabetes, Hypertension, Cardiovascular disease, High LDL cholesterol & High triglycerides, High blood glucose, Gallbladder disease, cancer, Liver disease, Depression, Sleep apnea | Beans and Legumes food items such as Chickpeas, Black beans, Soybeans, Kidney beans, Peanuts.
High in vitamins and antioxidants, like the green vegetables, spinach, broccoli. Fiber-rich fruits, low fat dairy, lean protein |
Walking, Water aerobics, Stationary Bike, Trunk rotation, Sit-to-stand, Arm circles and raises, Yoga |
How to improve from overweight and obesity?
The first step would be to have thoughtful dietary control, and being conscious that anything goes into the body has an impact on yourself. Changing up your lifestyle and food habits helps, start off by getting enough fiber in your food, as it helps with digestion and makes you feel full, which restraints you from eating again and again.
Try intermittent fasting, which involves short periods of not eating, to give your digestion a boost. Additionally, to keep your gut bacteria happy, add some probiotic and prebiotic foods to your meals. Go for healthier food options and cut back on sugary, fatty, and processed items. Make sure to get more physical activity, as it’s great for your body and mind.
Take care of any health issues with the right medical advice and lifestyle tweaks. And don’t forget to cut down on stress with some relaxation techniques, and self-care. These changes can make a big difference in your weight and overall health.
Medications Guideline
The following drugs mentioned here are the FDA (The United States Food and Drug Administration is a federal agency of the Department of Health and Human Services) approved prescribed medications suggested for weight loss. The FDA has sanctioned five of these medications—Orlistat (Xenical, Alli), Phentermine-Topiramate (Qsymia), Naltrexone-Bupropion (Contrave), Liraglutide (Saxenda), and Semaglutide (Wegovy)—for long-term use.
Note that one may continue these medications as long as these are effective and not experiencing any serious side effects. Some appetite-suppressing weight management drugs are FDA-approved for short-term use only, up to 12 weeks.
Therefore, do not consume these unless your doctors have prescribed you to.
How BMI Reflects Your Health
While BMI tells you the balance charters of your body, it fails to put a consideration of individual body type and condition, which often makes false body assessment to an extent. Here’s the factors that needs to be taken account for while considering health balance of one’s body,
- Muscle mass: The body weight contains muscle mass along with the fat, thus it makes one appear to be overweight when in fact the fat adds significantly to the overall weight.
- Bone density: People with higher bone density will naturally have added weight as their bone structure is heavier, thus the accuracy of weight is compromised.
- Body composition: As one ages, the body composition changes with the chance of having more visceral fat and less of muscle mass. Both of these have a significant impact on one being overweight, whereas the weight may be a healthy one.
- Ethnicity: People from different ethnicities have unique body compositions, according to their ancestry which includes variations of muscularity, bone mass, even body fat.
Success stories of BMI patients
Lifestyle, Fashion and Beauty Influencer Sophie Shohet has shared her experience with Obesity and Anorexia as she struggled to gain and lose weight. She started off with a motivation of gym training in order to achieve her desired body goal, though she ended up losing a lot of weight than expected.
Her challenges centered around emotional struggles and coming to terms with her illness, which gradually improved through self-awareness and acceptance. Lastly, her journey to convince herself to be better had a lot to do with support of her loved one. And eventually she made it to her healthiest version and continues to thrive.
[Video credit @SophieShohetOfficial]
Different approach with another BMI patient Michael Washlow, with genetic history of health issues, his weight gain arised with depression and anxiety, however his weight loss surgery helped him get back on his feet again, maintaining a nutritious diet and physical activities, he found his way to a better life.
[Video credit @SilverCrossHospital]
Takeaways
Now you know how BMI reflects your health. Living in a healthy body is the best luxury to have. The BMI eases your way to identify the potential health risks you might have. Keep yourself motivated enough to get your life into a healthier track, and don’t hesitate to reach out for professional help if you need it. Just aim to live life with a body that’s happy and balanced!
References
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- Bubnis, D. (2023, July 27). Underweight health risks: Causes, symptoms, and treatment. MedicalNewsToday. Retrieved May 30, 2024, from https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/321612#risks
- Bubnis, D., & Knott, A. (2019, June 24). Exercise to Gain Weight: How Men and Women Can Bulk Up. Healthline. Retrieved May 31, 2024, from https://www.healthline.com/health/exercise-to-gain-weight#lifestyle
- Global burden of cancer attributable to high body-mass index in 2012: a population-based study. (2014, November 25). The Lancet Oncology. Retrieved May 30, 2024, from https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanonc/article/PIIS1470-2045(14)71123-4/fulltext
- How does obesity cause cancer? (2023, February 14). Cancer Research UK. Retrieved May 30, 2024, from https://www.cancerresearchuk.org/about-cancer/causes-of-cancer/bodyweight-and-cancer/how-does-obesity-cause-cancer
- Link of obesity and gallstones formation risk. (2019, September 16). MedCrave online. Retrieved May 31, 2024, from https://medcraveonline.com/AOWMC/link-of-obesity-and-gallstones-formation-risk.html
- Prescription Medications to Treat Overweight & Obesity. (2017, November 9). National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Disease. Retrieved June 1, 2024, from https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/weight-management/prescription-medications-treat-overweight-obesity
- Sethi, S. (2020, July 29). 10 Health Risks of Obesity and How to Prevent Them. Healthline. Retrieved May 30, 2024, from https://www.healthline.com/health/obesity/managing-obesity-health-risks#certain-cancers
- Thakur, S., & Sharma, S. (2023, January 13). Obesity Diet Plan 2023 For Successful Weight Loss. Fitelo. Retrieved May 31, 2024, from https://fitelo.co/resources/diet-plans/obesity-diet-plan/
- Underweight? See how to add pounds healthfully. (2023, January 11). Mayo Clinic. Retrieved May 31, 2024, from https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/expert-answers/underweight/faq-20058429
- Weight, fertility and pregnancy health. (n.d.). Better Health Channel. Retrieved May 31, 2024, from https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/conditionsandtreatments/weight-fertility-and-pregnancy-health
