You learn something new every day. Ok, not every day, every day but quite frequently. As I am so focused on the topic of health, medication, and weight, I searched to see if BMI changes with age. In my head, it should. And, indeed, it does. It is just called Smart BMI. It was launched by the WHO (World Health Organization) on February 01, 2014. And it actually considers age and gender, which make sense.
So now, ladies and gentlemen, instead of aiming for a BMI of 24, one can think about the best BMI for your age. Why does it change, you ask? Well, because biologically we gain weight as we age. Our "normal" weight increases with each passing decade. So how can you expect to weigh what you weighed in your teen when you are 50 years old? You will end up being underweight or even anorexic if you do.
As the figure above shows, the range of good BMI (the green area) increases with age. (you can check your SBMI here. It has the missing scales). Just not that. A low BMI, as shown here, also poses health-risk. I like that. Usually, a low BMI is defined as underweight. It somehow makes people happy. Being underweight, that is. As if it's an accomplishment, a compliment, and not the warning bells as it is supposed to be. At least, this new scale shows that there are health risks associated with a low BMI.
Where do I fit in this, you ask? Well, I am a moderate risk at my current weight. In fact, the WHO describes me as obese. The website is much kinder. It only says that I should focus on exercising and healthy foods. It also gains points from me for saying this:
P.S.: Today's tone courtesy of Grammarly:
I approve. What do you think?
So now, ladies and gentlemen, instead of aiming for a BMI of 24, one can think about the best BMI for your age. Why does it change, you ask? Well, because biologically we gain weight as we age. Our "normal" weight increases with each passing decade. So how can you expect to weigh what you weighed in your teen when you are 50 years old? You will end up being underweight or even anorexic if you do.
As the figure above shows, the range of good BMI (the green area) increases with age. (you can check your SBMI here. It has the missing scales). Just not that. A low BMI, as shown here, also poses health-risk. I like that. Usually, a low BMI is defined as underweight. It somehow makes people happy. Being underweight, that is. As if it's an accomplishment, a compliment, and not the warning bells as it is supposed to be. At least, this new scale shows that there are health risks associated with a low BMI.
Where do I fit in this, you ask? Well, I am a moderate risk at my current weight. In fact, the WHO describes me as obese. The website is much kinder. It only says that I should focus on exercising and healthy foods. It also gains points from me for saying this:
"You have never been on a specific dietTo me this is perfect. Except for the missing part about animal protein.
Well done. The best diet is "no diet", as long as the body is getting a well-balanced, mainly plant-based mix of carbohydrates, fats, proteins, minerals, vitamins and enough, but not too much energy."
P.S.: Today's tone courtesy of Grammarly:
No comments:
Post a Comment