A high amount of body fat may adversely affect your health and increase the risk of a variety of chronic diseases. Here are 2 easy methods to find out if you are of healthy weight.
Body Mass Index (BMI)
BMI is a measure of body fat based on a formula derived from your height and weight.
- Underweight: BMI < 18.5
- Healthy: BMI 18.5 – 24.9
- Overweight: BMI 25.0 – 29.9
- Obese: BMI ≥ 30.0
Waist circumference
Excessive abdominal fat may increase the risk of developing obesity-related conditions such as type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and high blood pressure.
You can measure your waist circumference by standing up and placing a measuring tape around your waist. Make sure that the tape is between the lower ribs and belly button. Keep the tape close to your skin. Exhale normally and measure.
A waist circumference of above 80 cm for Asian women and above 90 cm for men suggests abdominal obesity.
Do take note that BMI and waist circumference are not diagnostic tools for disease risks. To find out more about obese-related disease risk, please consult a trained healthcare professional.