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| telegraph.co.uk |
As a good rule of thumb: for optimal
health and longevity, a man should not have more than one-half inch of skin
that he can pinch near his umbilicus
(belly button) and a woman should not have more than one inch. Almost any fat
on the body over this minimum is a health risk. If you have gained even as
little as ten pounds since the age of eighteen or twenty, then you could be at
significant increased risk for health problems such as heart disease, high
blood pressure, and diabetes. The truth is that most people who think they are
at the right weight still have too much fat on their body.
A commonly used formula for
determining ideal body weight follows:
Women:
Approximately ninety-five pounds for the first five feet of height and then
four pounds for every inch thereafter.
5'4" 96 +
16=111
5’6” 96 +
24=119
Men:
Approximately 105 pounds for the first five feet of height and then five pounds
for every inch thereafter. Therefore, a 5'10" male should weigh approximately 155
pounds.
All formulas that approximate ideal
weights are only rough guides, since we all have different body types and bone
structure.
Body mass index (BMI) is used as a convenient indicator of overweight risk and is often used
in medical investigations. BMI is calculated by dividing weight in kilograms by
height in meters (squared). Another way to calculate BMI is to use this
formula: A BMI over 24 is considered overweight and greater than 30, obese.
However, it is just as easy for most of us merely to use waist circumference. I
prefer waist circumference and abdominal fat measurements because BMI can be
inaccurately high if the person is athletic and very muscular. Ideally, your
BMI should be below, unless you lift weights and have considerable muscle mass.
As an example, I am of average height and build (5'10" and 150 pounds) and
my BMI is 21.5. My waist circumference is 30.5 inches. Waist circumference
should be measured at the navel. The traditional view is that men who have a
waist circumference over forty inches and women with one over thirty-five
inches are significantly overweight with a high risk of health problems and
heart attacks. Evidence suggests that abdominal fat measurement is a better predictor of risk than
overall weight or size. Fat deposits around your waist are a greater health
risk than extra fat in other places, such as the hips and thighs.
Copyright ©Joel Fuhrman MD –Originally appeared in Eat to Live by Joel Fuhrman MD
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