Interactive Tool: Is Your BMI Increasing Your Health Risks?

What does this tool measure?

This interactive tool estimates your risk of weight-related diseases by using your body mass index (BMI) along with your waist measurement and other factors. BMI is an estimate of body fat. The higher the BMI, the greater the risk of some diseases, including high blood pressure, coronary artery disease, stroke, osteoarthritis, some cancers, and type 2 diabetes.

Health Tools

Health Tools help you make wise health decisions or take action to improve your health.

	Interactive tools are designed to help people determine health risks, ideal weight, target heart rate, and more.
	BMI and Health Risks

What does your score mean?

Your score will appear as one of the following ranges:

• Healthy weight and waist size: Your weight and waist size do not put you at risk for serious health problems.
• Moderate risk: Your weight or waist size is one reason you are at moderate risk for serious health problems. Talk to your doctor about ways to lower your risk.
• High risk: Your weight or waist size is one reason you are at higher-than-normal risk for serious health problems that could shorten your life. Talk to your doctor about ways to lower your risk.

What's next?

If you are concerned about your score, talk to your doctor about developing a healthy lifestyle. For more information, see the topic Weight Management.

Source: U.S. National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, U.S. National Institutes of Health (2000). The Practical Guide: Identification, Evaluation, and Treatment of Overweight and Obesity in Adults. (NIH Publication No. 00-4084). Available online: http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/guidelines/obesity/prctgd_c.pdf.

References

Other Works Consulted

• Purnell JQ (2008). Obesity. In DC Dale, DD Federman, eds., ACP Medicine, section 3, chap. 10. Hamilton, ON: BC Decker.

Credits