Hey everyone! Do you think you are taking good care of your health? This is very important. There is no talk of trying to exercise or eating fruit and vegetables to force you to do something. This is because it has a big impact on our lives. It is not only about physical health but also emotional health. Movement and proper nutrition impact how we feel and whether our brain produces the right amount of happiness hormones. If you want to check if your BMI and habits are as they should be, we invite you to take our quiz.
What exactly is BMI? This is otherwise the body mass index. It is the Quetelet II index, i.e. the coefficient obtained by dividing the body weight given in kilograms by the square of the height given in meters. The classification, value range, and BMI index have been developed exclusively for adults and cannot be used in children. To assess the proper development of a child, percentile grids are used, which should be adapted to a given population.
Measurement of the body mass index is important in assessing the risk of diseases related to overweight and obesity, e.g. diabetes, ischemic heart disease, and atherosclerosis. It is assumed that a higher BMI value is associated with an increased risk to health and life.
The anthropometric body mass index was developed in 1832 by the Belgian mathematician Adolf Quetelet. During many years of work, Adolphe Quatelet has conducted research aimed at unifying the causes of death in individual countries. He also conducted several medical-related research aimed at determining the shape of the average person at the time. Hundreds of volunteers took part in Quatelet’s research. The scientist noticed a certain dependence related to human body weight and height. It turned out that human weight grows in proportion to the square of human height. And this is how the Quatelet coefficient was created, which is now widely used as a BMI index. In 1972, the American physiologist Ancel Keys renamed the Quetelet coefficient into the body mass index, which is now known.
BMI is a standard body mass index used for the comparative assessment of social groups and populations as it correlates well with body fat content and is rather independent of height.
The downside of BMI classification is that it does not take into account the type of body build, e.g. the share of human body fat at BMI 27 may be from 10 to 31% of its mass. High body weight does not have to result from the body fat content, but also from muscle mass, extracellular water content due to edema, and bone mass. These differences can be seen in up to 1/3 of adult women. In bodybuilders, the BMI index may indicate extreme obesity with little actual body fat. This problem was solved by directly measuring the thickness of the dermal fat fold, most often with a folding meter. Of the four most frequently chosen sites, the best available is the cutaneous fat fold above the triceps muscle of the arm, which also allows the most accurate measurement. The distribution of adipose tissue in the body does not have to be even, therefore the ratio of the waist circumference to the hip circumference is also taken into account. The bioimpedance analysis method of estimating body fat content is also popular. On the other hand, for example, the BMI of completely healthy, slim, and tall athletes may indicate extreme underweight (eg Yohann Diniz’s BMI with a height of 185 cm and a weight of 59 kg will be 17.24).
The relationship between the size of the indicator and disease risk differs between populations with different body proportions. Thus, among Asians, the risk of diabetes is significantly higher at lower BMI values. The body fat content is also higher in women than in men of normal body weight. In women, adipose tissue is responsible for fertility and sexual maturation. In both sexes, the presence of adipose tissue is important because, inter alia, it protects internal organs against injuries, has a thermal insulation function, and allows you to survive longer disease states, the so-called obesity paradox.
In clinical practice, BMI is not used to determine the correct bodyweight in children. For children up to 19 years of age, there are percentile tables that should be adapted to the given population and appropriate interpretation of data on weight and height – mainly the difference in the so-called growth and weight percentile channels for a given child.
Do you have a proper relationship with food? Are you satisfied with your appearance? Does your weight make you have problems with your health or daily activities? These are the questions that you will surely be able to think about while taking this quiz. There are twenty questions that will help you assess whether your BMI is correct and healthy for you. If you are ready, click start and find out if you should make any changes.
