Body Mass Index And Health Page 2

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too much body fat. Similarly, a petite gymnast may be consid-
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ered underweight but not unhealthy (10). BMI, when used for
children and adolescents who are still growing (11), pregnant
You can find more information about BMI, weight, nutrition,
women, people with large body frames, or petite and highly
and health by visiting the following web sites:
muscular individuals, should be interpreted cautiously.
American Dietetic Association................
American Heart Association..........
How does BMI relate to health?
NIH/National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute...........................
.............................................................
BMI is generally related to body fat. Higher BMIs usually mean
NIH/National Institutes of Diabetes & Digestive & Kidney
higher body fat (3). As body fat or BMI increases, especially
Diseases............
from values equal to or greater than 30, health risks increase (3).
Being overweight (BMI of 25 to 30) or being obese (BMI greater
References
than 30) increases the risk of having high blood pressure, heart
disease, stroke, diabetes, certain types of cancer, arthritis, and
1. Spadano MA, Coakley EH, Field AE, Colditz G, Dietz WH. The
breathing problems (4-8). Research shows that being obese
disease burden associated with overweight and obesity. J Am Med
lowers one’s life expectancy (4, 9). When overweight or obese
Assoc. 1999; 282(16):1523-1529.
people lose weight, they also lower their blood pressure, total
2. NIH/NIDDK (National Institutes of Health, National Institute of
cholesterol, LDL (or “bad”) cholesterol, increase their HDL (or
Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases), National Task Force
“good”) cholesterol, improve their blood sugar levels, and reduce
on Prevention and Treatment of Obesity. Obesity and Health Risk.
their amount of abdominal fat (4).
Arch Intern Med (in press).
3. NIH/NHLBI (National Institutes of Health, National Heart, Lung,
and Blood Insitute). Clinical Guidelines on the Identification,
What Research Studies Relate BMI to Diseases and
Evaluation and Treatment of Overweight and Obesity in Adults.
Longevity?
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health
Service, 1998.
In 1998, the National Institutes of Health issued a report to
4. Hubert HB, Feinleib M., McNamara PM, Castelli WP. Obesity as an
identify and treat obesity and overweight. Many scientific
independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease: a 26 year follow-
research studies suggest that weight loss reduces chronic
up of participants in the Framingham Heart Study: Circulation.
1983; 67:968-977.
diseases and improves the life span of people who are over-
5. Walker SP, Rimm EB, Ascherio A, Kawachi I, Stampfer MJ, Willett
weight. This report provided recommendations to clinicians and
WC. Body size and fat distribution as predictors of stroke among US
the public about weight management (3). In developing this
men. Am J Epidemiol 1996;144; 1143-1150.
report, more than 43,627 research articles were obtained from a
6. Colditz GA, Willet WC, Rotnitzky A, Manson JE. Weight gain as a
search of the scientific literature and reviewed by a panel of
risk factor for clinical diabetes mellitus in women. Ann Intern Med,.
researchers. Researchers have examined the importance of
1995:122:481-486.
weight reduction in people with high blood cholesterol (4), high
7. Giocannucci E, Ascherio A, Rimm EB, Colditz GA, Stampfer MJ,
blood pressure (5), diabetes (6), cancer (7), and osteoarthritis
Willet WC. Physical activity, obesity, and risk for colon cancer and
(8), and reported that weight loss reduces the risks for these
adenoma in men. Ann Intern Med. 1995;122:327-334.
8. Hochberg MC, Lethbridge-Cejku M, Scott WW Jr., Reichle R, Plato
diseases.
CC, Tobin JD. The association of body weight, body fatness and
body fat distribution with osteoarthritis of the knee: data from the
Conclusions
Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging. J Rheumatol 1995;22:488-
493.
The link between BMI and health shows that overweight or
9. Troiano RP, Frongillo EA Jr, Sobal J, Levitsky DA. The relationship
obese people are more likely than those at normal weight to have
between body weight and mortality: a quantitative analysis of
medical problems such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol,
combined information from existing studies. Int J Obes Relat Metab
Disord. 1996; 20: 63-75.
stroke, diabetes, and heart disease. Research studies have shown
10. Ellis KJ. Body Composition of a Young, Multi-ethnic, Male
that even a weight loss of 1-2 pounds per week for six months
Population. Am J Clin Nutr. 1997; 66: 1323-1331.
can improve the health of overweight people (3). The goal of
11. Kuczmarski RJ, Ogden CL, Grummer-Strawn LM, et al. CDC
weight loss should be to improve health. Rapid weight loss,
growth charts: United States. Advance data from vital and health
swings in weight, and improper dieting should not be the goal (12,
statistics; no. 314. Hyattsville, Maryland: National Center for Health
13).
Statistics, 2000.
12. Atkinson HG, Blackburn GB, Anthony ND, Arthur WF, Harry LG,
David SR, Carolyn DR. Sensible Weight Control. N Engl J Med:
Authors
Health News. Nov., 20: 1999; 8.
13. Blackburn GB. The Physician’s Perspective. N Engl J Med: Health
Hazel A. Hiza, Ph.D., R.D., Charlotte Pratt, Ph.D. R.D., Anne L.
News. Nov., 20: 1999; 2.
Mardis, M.D., M.P.H., and Rajen Anand, Ph.D.
Nutrition Insights is issued by the Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion, an organization of the U.S. Department of
Agriculture. Nutrition Insights may be accessed at the CNPP Web Site at
The mission of the Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion is to improve the nutritional status of Americans by serving
as the focal point within the U.S. Department of Agriculture for linking scientific research to the consumer.
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in its programs on the basis of race, color,
national origin, sex, religion, age, disability, political beliefs, and marital and family status. USDA is an equal opportunity
provider and employer.

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