Related topics: obesity , bmi
Body mass index
hideThe body mass index (BMI), or Quetelet index, is a controversial statistical measurement which compares a person's weight and height. Though it does not actually measure the percentage of body fat, it may be a useful tool to estimate a healthy body weight based on how tall a person is. Due to its ease of measurement and calculation, it is the most widely used diagnostic tool to identify weight problem within a population including: underweight, overweight and obesity. It was invented between 1830 and 1850 by the Belgian polymath Adolphe Quetelet during the course of developing "social physics". Body mass index is defined as the individual's body weight divided by the square of his or her height. The formulae universally used in medicine produce a unit of measure of kg/m2. BMI can also be determined using a BMI chart, which displays BMI as a function of weight (horizontal axis) and height (vertical axis) using contour lines for different values of BMI or colours for different BMI categories.
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News tagged with body mass index
Patient's weight not linked to success of fibroid surgery
Nov 19, 2009 |
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Obese patients are no more likely to have post-operative complications than those of average weight when undergoing robotic surgery to remove uterine fibroids, according to a study at Henry Ford Hospital.
Students with a lower socioeconomic background benefit from daily school physical activity
Nov 17, 2009 |
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German school students -- especially those with low socioeconomic status (SES) -- significantly improved their exercise capacity and body leanness after a year of daily physical activity classes, according to research presented ...
Increased obesity hindering success at reducing heart disease risk
Nov 17, 2009 |
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The dramatic increase in overweight and obesity in adult Americans over the past 20 years has undermined public health success at reducing risk for heart disease, according to research presented at the American Heart Association's ...
Nutrigenomics researchers replicate gene interaction with saturated fat
Nov 17, 2009 |
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Tufts University researchers have identified a gene-diet interaction that appears to influence body weight and have replicated their findings in three independent studies. Men and women carrying the CC genotype demonstrated ...
Fat collections linked to decreased heart function
Nov 13, 2009 |
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Researchers from Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) have shown that fat collection in different body locations, such as around the heart and the aorta and within the liver, are associated with certain decreased heart ...
Tech toys over $100 that are worth every penny
Electronics / Consumer & Gadgets
Nov 11, 2009 |
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Picking a Christmas gift for the nerd in your life is never easy. In the holiday stampede, it's all too easy to pick an outdated gadget or obsolete program. And mistakes can be costly.
Teenage obesity linked to increased risk of MS
Medicine & Health / Neuroscience
Nov 09, 2009 |
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Teenage women who are obese may be more than twice as likely to develop multiple sclerosis (MS) as adults compared to female teens who are not obese, according to a study published in the November 10, 2009, print issue of ...
Physical education key to improving health in low-income adolescents
Nov 05, 2009 |
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School-based physical education plays a key role in curbing obesity and improving fitness among adolescents from low-income communities, according to a new study led by researchers at the University of California, San Francisco ...
Losing while cruising to the store: Obesity linked to fewer neighborhood food options
Oct 27, 2009 |
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Contrary to what you might believe, living near a variety of restaurants, convenience stores, supermarkets and even fast food outlets actually lowers your risk for obesity, according to a new study from the University of ...
Fitness levels decline with age, especially after 45
Oct 26, 2009 |
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Men and women become gradually less fit with age, with declines accelerating after age 45, according to a report in the October 26 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals. However, mainta ...
Long-term treatment with proton pump inhibitor can increase weight
Oct 23, 2009 |
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Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is the most common esophageal disorder, and frequently encountered in the primary care setting. Accumulating evidence has confirmed the excellent efficacy and safety of proton pump inhibitor ...
Physicians have less respect for obese patients, study suggests
Oct 22, 2009 |
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Doctors have less respect for their obese patients than they do for patients of normal weight, a new study by Johns Hopkins researchers suggests. The findings raise questions about whether negative physician attitudes about ...
Accelerated bone growth may be an indicator of hypertension in children
Oct 20, 2009 |
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Children whose bones are "older" than their chronological age may be at an increased risk of hypertension, according to a study reported today in Hypertension: Journal of the American Heart Association. As a result, the in ...
'Superobesity,' chronic disease burden associated with risk of death following bariatric surgery
Oct 19, 2009 |
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Veterans classified as superobese and those with a higher chronic disease burden appear more likely to die within a year of having bariatric surgery, according to a report in the October issue of Archives of Surgery.
Redefining obesity's health risks: Scientists make the case for new body fat assessment
Oct 19, 2009 |
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The body mass index (BMI) has long been the yardstick in deciding who is at risk because of their weight. BMI is essentially a measure of density, identifying 'under-' and 'over-weight' risk groups. Recent studies however ...


