Measuring body mass is key to weighty health issues

Heather Steed didn't like what she saw when she glanced at her reflection in the mirror.

When she couldn't button the top of her size 22 pants, the then-37-year-old Flinstone, Ga., woman decided to get professional help.

"My (body mass index) was off the charts," Ms. Steed said. "I knew I was fat, but the word obese was not something I wanted to call myself."

When it comes to finding out if you are a healthy weight, you need more precision than just looking in the mirror, experts say. Health professionals can identify a person's healthy weight is by calculating their body mass index, commonly called BMI.

BMI indicates if a person's weight is proportional to their height. It is calculated by dividing the two numbers then squaring them, said Dr. Veronica Gunn, chief medical officer for the Tennessee Department of Health. (See related box.)

"This tool is used as a screening tool," Dr. Gunn said. "If you have an elevated BMI, it tells it's possible that you are at increased (health) risk."

BMI ACCURACY

BMI is a calculation done easily with two measurements and a calculator, Dr. Gunn said. It is also a low-cost tool.

While BMI is not used to diagnose a person's health, it is accurate in helping identify future health risks, Dr. Gunn said. The measurement gives you a score, and based on the number lets you know if you are under, over or at a healthy weight.

"We can also use (BMI) to guide individuals, as well as a population's health," she said.

BMI is just one indicator to be put into context of the whole health picture, said John Bilderback, manager of the Chattanooga-Hamilton County Health Department's program to fight obesity.

"Some people have found you can be fat and still be fit," Mr. Bilderback said.

Because the same calculations are used for both men and women, BMI can be more accurate for woman, Mr. Bilderback said. Muscular men will have a higher BMI, he said.

OTHER WEIGHING FACTORS

Weight is an important factor in determining a healthy body, but there are other factors to consider, Dr. Gunn said.

A healthy body also depends on how physically active you are, said Gregory Heath, head of the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga's department of health and human performance.

"Even a person who is overweight -- if they are engaged in regular physical activity -- their total mortality is much better than an overweight person who is inactive," Dr. Heath said.

Healthy physical activity that can prevent weight means doing at least 150 minutes of moderate exercise a week, he said.

Many diseases including cardio vascular disease and breast and colon cancer are directly associated with physical inactivity, Dr. Heath said.

While exercise is key, people can't minimize the importance of eating healthy foods in moderation, he said.

BATTLE IN THE MIND

People can struggle with weight gain physically and mentally, said Dr. Christopher Cunningham, UTC associate professor of psychology. Everyone goes through their day viewing themselves through some kind of standard, Dr. Cunningham said.

The images people see on a regular basis in pop culture are not average men and women, and it's important to remember that celebrities don't represent the public as a whole, Dr. Cunningham said.

"It's not all about looking thin," he said. "(There are) really important components to being healthy that have nothing to do with how you look."

If people get a regular amount of physical activity and eat a lot of fruits and vegetables, in most cases they are going to be healthy individuals, Mr. Bilderback said.

"Not everyone is meant to be thin and look like super models," he said.

REAPING THE REWARDS

After Ms. Steed realized she was overweight, she could then find out how to change.

"I changed everything about my life," Ms. Steed said.

After she began seeing a personal trainer, she started to track her eating habits. She then changed her diet and started to exercise regularly.

The now 39-year-old said she lost 75 pounds and fits into a size 6 pair of jeans, plays tennis with her son and this year ran a half-marathon.

"It's a lifestyle," she said. "It's just about changing your thinking."