Under weight is considered a BMI less than If under or over weight, a person is considered to be at risk for malnutrition and diseases such as osteoporosis, cardiovascular disease, hypertension, diabetes, cancer and obesity.
So what other measurements can we rely on when gauging health? Measure your waist circumference : using a measuring tape to evaluate your waist size is an easy way to estimate the amount of abdominal fat. Fat accumulated around the midsection and organs known as visceral fat is of more concern than fat around the rear and thighs subcutaneous fat. Visceral fat is proven to increase the risk of heart disease, diabetes, cancer, high blood pressure, sleep apnea and stroke.
It is also shown to increase the amount of dangerous inflammatory molecules in the body! Reducing central abdominal fat is a good way to increase overall health and longevity.
Women should have a waist of less than 35 inches and men 40 inches. These laboratory values are a sneak peek into how your body is physiologically working from the inside! FYI, normal lab values look something like this:. Testing your VO2 Max : VO2 max is the maximum rate of oxygen consumed during incremental exercise AKA- how much oxygen your body is using while working out. This value can tell you how physically fit your body is from the inside out! As one becomes more physically fit, their VO2 is expected to increase.
A higher VO2 max has been linked to a lower risk of heart disease, cancer, dementia, depression and diabetes. If you are interested in getting your VO2 measured, you can check in with your local fitness center as many places offer VO2 treadmill testing! The USDA recommends eating servings of fruits, servings of vegetables, 6 ounces of grains, ounces of protein and 3 cups of dairy per day for optimal health! They also advise keeping sodium under milligrams, saturated fat less than 22 grams and added sugar no more than 50 grams per day.
