Body Mass Index (BMI) Calculator

Posted by: Tampa Cardio

On: April 15, 2016

Heart healthy individuals don’t smoke, exercise regularly, eat a healthy diet full of fruits and vegetables and maintain a healthy body mass index (BMI). Body mass index is the measure of the body fat that you have based on your height and weight. It can inform you if you are underweight, normal weight, overweight or obese. Having a normal and consistent BMI is key in reducing stress on the heart. 

There are two approaches to the BMI screening tool. The first is that if you rank high, you have too much body fat for your height. When you are either overweight or obese, your body produces additional capillaries in those fat storages. An additional seven miles of veins is needed per one pound of fat. So, if you have ten or twenty extra pounds on your person, then that is a lot more work for your heart and venous system to maintain. Also, if you are carrying a lot of extra weight, then it could be an indicator that you are possibly not eating a heart healthy diet and possibly neglecting an exercise regimen. Both of which help your heart and cardiovascular system run smoothly. The second approach is that ranking high could indicate muscle mass. Individuals who exercise a lot and gain a lot of muscle mass rank high on the BMI. Their weight would appear high since muscle is heavy. In relation to their height, they could appear to be on the overweight or obese side of the BMI when, in reality, they just have a lot more muscle.

BMI is not a diagnostic tool, it is a screening tool. It cannot base the ranking on body fatness or the overall health of the individual. It is an easy-to-use and inexpensive way for clinicians and researchers to assess the body mass index of an individual or population.

Here is a Body Mass Index (BMI) Calculator. Simply indicate your weight and height and it will tell you where on the spectrum you fall.

Powered by BMI Calculator

Contact Tampa Cardiovascular Associates today at 813-975-2800 or schedule an appointment online at TampaCardio.com.

Posted by: Tampa Cardio

On: 15/04/2016

Leave a Reply