BMI for women is similar to the BMI for men and teenagers. The formula used to calculate BMI for men is the same one used to calculate the BMI for women; dividing the weight of the individual with the height. Interpretations for healthy and unhealthy indices are also the same. Though BMI for women does not take the fat in the body and measure it physically (this is impossible) research has proven it to be a reliable measure of how fat you are.
Origins of the BMI for Women and Men Scores
BMI for women and men were pioneered in 1800s by a scientist called Adolphe Quetelet and was initially named after him as the quetelet scale. He was conducting a social experiment on body image (these issues did not just crop up in recent times they have been present for a long time). Another scientist called it the body mass index in the 1970s while conducting a similar experiment and thus the term BMI became widely accepted to refer to this ratio.
BMI for women and men is used to identify possible weight problems that they may experience. However you should take note that diagnosis cannot be made based purely on BMI. Other more advanced tests may be needed to make this conclusion. BMI for women as well as for men only forms the initial stage of diagnosis. Research and statistical bodies use the BMI for women, men and children to estimate the population's obesity and overweight density. In order to determine your true BMI score make use of our free BMI for Women report which also contains a detailed BMI reduction plan and steps to success which many of our readers have found extremely useful in reducing their BMI score.
Can You Lower Your BMI Score?
It has been proven by researchers that the BMI for women and that for men at the same age varies due to their physiological differences and as such should not be interpreted similarly. Generally at the same BMI figure women tend to have more fat than men. This is attributable to the fact that the basal metabolic rate for men is higher than that of women at the same age group.
Age is also another determining factor. At the same BMI figure older adults will have more fat than younger adults and this is also attributable to the differences is basal metabolic rates and to the level of activity. Highly muscular people like body builders will have a higher BMI due to their more developed muscles rather than due to increased fat. All these factors should be considered when interpreting BMI for women, men and teens.
You are a women and have an unhealthy BMI Score?
An unhealthy BMI can be an indicator of how prone you are to diseases conditions like hypertension, diabetes, coronary thrombosis, stroke, gallbladder disease, osteoarthritis and some cancers. Though BMI is accepted as a measure of health some doctors do not use it but rather want to actually study their patient's lifestyles to determine how healthy they are. BMI for women and men is at times used by insurance companies that offer life assurance to determine the premiums to charge the assured.
This is because they take BMI to predict the health risks that the assured is prone to. The high or very low the BMI the greater the risk and the more they pay as premium. BMI is also used by local and national government to determine the health of the people they govern. This helps them make adequate budgetary allocations to hospitals, educational programs and the concerned agencies.
When you trainers and fitness experts are admitting people to a weight loss program they use the BMI for women and men to establish realistic weight loss goals that you can achieve in a healthy way. BMI also indicates whether you need to lose weight, gain weight or simply maintain your current weight.
BMI for women and men has its limitations. Experts feel that basing this calculation on weight and height does not represent the correct figure and is erroneous. Factors like bone size and density should also be considered. Bone size and density is determined mainly by ethnicity family history and environmental factors. Using BMI in its current form interprets this as fat and of course this is erroneous and not a true representation of facts. Also another injustice is to body builders and athletes. Their bodies are large due to their large muscles and the current BMI scheme would interpret it as fat. It also happens that a person who has a healthy BMI has a lot of body fat given that their muscles are poorly developed. You could also have a very healthy BMI but the reality could not be further from this. For example smokers may have a healthy BMI but are actually quite unhealthy.
BMI therefore needs to take into consideration peoples habits. Family history is also another important factor left out in BMI calculations. People with a healthy BMI may be at risk of diseases like cancer and diabetes due to family history than a person with an unhealthy BMI. Same applies to the environment in which we live. You could a healthy BMI but exposed to disease due to the environment in which you reside which is why a healthy BMI for women score is vital to a healthy and fulfilled lifestyle.
Fully understanding BMI for Women index scores can be a huge advantage in focusing the mind and losing weight. Particulary suited to women whom are looking to reduce belly fat the abs diet for women coupled with an accurate BMI score can mean the difference between success and failure. Learn how to interpret your BMI score and techinques to lose weight quickly.
