What is healthy?
Britain is getting bigger. This isn’t just a tabloid headline, it is the cold, hard truth: one in four British adults is obese. The most commonly used measurement to determine whether someone is a healthy weight is by their Body Mass Index (BMI). You can check individuals BMI by using this BMI calculator. It is important to remember that BMI is an indicator rather than an absolute assessment but sometimes BMI is not necessarily a good measure in some groups of adults, such as those who are more muscular and are therefore heavier but healthy (for example, some athletes).
Why is weight so important?
Someone who has a BMI of 30-35kg/m2 loses an average of two to four years on their lifespan, while someone who has a BMI excess of 40kg/m2 lives an estimated average of eight to 10 years fewer than their counterparts who have a healthy body weight. Being overweight or obese increases the risk of long-term and several medical conditions such as:
- Over weight increases blood pressure
- Type-II Diabetes
- Kidney disease
- Heart stroke
- Short-life expectancy