Women's Health Journey

Poly Cystic Ovarian Disease

Poly Cystic Ovarian Disease

Determining your healthy weight involves more than just how you look. While appearance can be a valid consideration, overall health is a critical factor. Medically, healthy weight refers to having the right amount of fat in relation to your overall body mass. Here are two key ways to measure it:

1. Body Mass Index (BMI)

BMI is calculated by dividing your body weight in kilograms by the square of your height in meters (kg/m²).

• Normal BMI Range: 18.5 – 24.9 kg/m²

Limitations of BMI

• Doesn’t Differentiate Between Fat and Muscle: BMI doesn’t distinguish between fat (lower density) and muscle (higher density). Therefore, athletes with higher muscle mass may have a misleading BMI.

• Fat Distribution: Where fat is located in the body is more strongly linked to disease risk than weight alone.

Why BMI is Still Used

• Cost-Effective and Suitable for Large Studies: BMI is free to calculate and suitable for large population studies.

• General Correlation: BMI generally correlates with body fat for most people.

2. Waist Circumference

More important than the amount of fat is where it is located in the body. Body fat distribution can be described using apple and pear shapes.

• Apple-Shaped: Fat is carried around the waist or upper body, indicating more visceral fat and a higher risk of metabolic diseases.

• Pear-Shaped: Fat is carried around the hips and thighs or lower body, indicating less visceral fat and a lower risk of metabolic diseases.

How to Measure Waist Circumference

1. Find the highest point on each hip bone.

2. Measure horizontally around your body just above these points.

Increased Health Risk:

A waist circumference exceeding 40 inches for men and 35 inches for women indicates increased health risk.

These cut-offs are somewhat arbitrary, but the key point is that a higher waistline generally indicates greater health risks.

Dr. Bushra Gul’s message:

While appearance can be an indicator of healthy weight, focusing on overall health through measures like BMI and waist circumference is crucial. Understanding the distribution of body fat and its health implications helps in maintaining a healthy weight and reducing the risk of metabolic diseases.