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.
For more information about Body mass index, read the full article at
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News tagged with body mass index
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 ...
Current Soda Taxes Not High Enough to Curb Obesity, Study Finds
Oct 16, 2009 |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- Current state taxes and levies on soft drinks are slowing consumption and resulting in slimmer waistlines, but the effect is generally small in magnitude, newly published research by the Yale ...
Improved diet and exercise alone unlikely to cure obstructive sleep apnea in obese patients
Oct 15, 2009 |
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A study in the Oct. 15 issue of the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine found that while a strict diet and exercise program may benefit obese patients with mild to moderate obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), it is unlikely to eli ...
Trialing major weight loss for type 2 diabetes in the overweight
Oct 14, 2009 |
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In the first trial of its kind in the world, researchers at Monash University's Centre for Obesity Research and Education (CORE) will examine the benefits of a gastric banding procedure on overweight people with Type 2 diabetes.
How does media exposure affect self-esteem in overweight and underweight women?
Oct 13, 2009 |
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Overweight women's self-esteem plummets when they view photographs of models of any size, according to a new study in Journal of Consumer Research. And underweight women's esteem increases, regardless of models' size.
Noncorrectable vision problems associated with shorter lifespan in older adults
Oct 12, 2009 |
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Visual problems that cannot be corrected are associated with increased risk of death among individuals between the ages of 49 and 74, and all visual impairments may be associated with the risk of death in older adults, according ...
Healthy neighborhoods may be associated with lower diabetes risk
Oct 12, 2009 |
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Individuals living in neighborhoods conducive to physical activity and providing access to healthy foods may have a lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes in a five-year period, according to a report in the October 12 issue ...
Physical activity in adolescence associated with decreased risk of brain cancer in adulthood
Oct 06, 2009 |
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While little is known about the causes of glioma, researchers at the National Cancer Institute have found that this rare but often deadly form of brain cancer may be linked to early life physical activity ...
