If your pants feel tighter than usual, you might begin to suspect that you’ve gained a couple of pounds. But at what point should you begin to worry that the weight gain is serious? Could you be one of the approximately two-thirds of American adults who are either overweight or obese, with an increased risk for conditions like diabetes and heart disease? While no single measurement is perfect, here are a few ways to size yourself up.
Step on the scale
Upside: Easy and handy. In a 2007 study published in the journal Obesity, researchers found that dieters who regularly and frequently weighed themselves appeared more likely to keep the weight off over time. Buying a scale for your bathroom to keep track of your weight won’t break the bank, and your gym probably has one in the locker room.
Downside: You know how you can be skinny but out of shape? Or heavy and fit? Body weight doesn’t take into account the proportion of fat in the body, or where that fat is deposited—factors that can point to health trouble. Also, experts say dieters often make the mistake of fixating on the number between their toes instead of focusing on changing the behavior that can improve it.
Body mass index
Upside: Your BMI provides a lot more information than your bathroom scale—specifically, a measure of body fat. “Fat is more important than weight,” says Peter Katzmarzyk, associate executive director for population science at the Pennington Biomedical Research Center in Baton Rouge, La. “Excessive fatness is the definition of obesity, not excessive weight—and having too much fat can cause serious health problems.”
This calculation uses a ratio of weight to height to estimate body fat and obesity.
- A BMI of less than 18.5 is underweight
- A BMI of 18.5–24.9 is normal
- A BMI of 25–29.9 is overweight
- A BMI of 30 or higher is obese
Downside: Since the BMI tool cannot distinguish between lean muscle mass and body fat, it has a tendency to overestimate the level of body fat in people who have a lot of muscle—say, Arnold Schwarzenegger—and underestimate the amount of body fat in people who have lost muscle mass, such as the elderly. Try to guess your favorite celebrities’ BMIs. “If you are an Olympic body builder, it doesn’t hold up so well,” says Miriam Nelson, PhD, director of the John Hancock Center for Physical Activity and Nutrition at Tufts University’s Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy, in Boston. Nelson notes that BMI still works well for the general population and estimates that it gives an inaccurate assessment in only 1% to 3% of people, despite its limitations.
And if you’re looking to compare your BMI with other dieters, think again. Pretty much anyone can rattle off his weight, but only 20% of the population knows their BMI, suggests a National Consumers League survey conducted by Harris Interactive last year.
Next: Waist circumference
Comments (4)
As a certified personal trainer and certified fitness nutritionist I assess my clients weekly with a skin-fold test. It’s not very pleasant but it provides a method to determine lean mass vs. body fat gain which helps me adjust their program to ensure success. A good nutrition and exercise program designed and managed by a qualified professional can go a long way towards reaching fitness goals. Once acheived it’s much easier to maintain.
The biggest problems with the BMI results are (1) it does not take into account the amount of muscle that an athletic person carries (most people are aware of this) and (2) it has no way to accommodate for the size of your frame. An average woman’s wrist is 7″ to 7-1/2″ in diameter – mine is 8-1/2″. The rest of my skeleton follows suit; wide shoulders, wide hips, large waist measurement, larger bone structure overall. I have a heavy frame. It obviously weighs more than the average frame.
Between the 2, I am classified as obese and doctors have informed me of that fact. OK, I admit I’m overweight, but they suggest I lose an impossible amount of weight without really looking at me. It’s a GOOD thing that researchers are developing a new way to calculate weight that takes more parameters into account.
The average person can easily fluctuate 2-4lbs of bodyweight in a day depending on fluid and food intake. If you really want an accurate measurement of true “fat loss” or weight loss from fat, you should be weighing yourself in the exact same state each time.
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Maybe the estimated calculation isn’t 100% accurate, but it does give you an initial impression. YOu do know if you are anactive gym rat, versus some excercise, versus little to no routine excercise. So for me it is a helpful start to know that now is when I need to take action and not after that “on last” piece of cheesecake, I seem to talk myself into all too often. I may not have a perfect understanding of this issue, but for me this was helpful to let me know I need to look into this further and do something instead of ignoring a potential health problem I may be able to influence and improve upon. Thanks!