Fit, are we?

Judging from the tidal waves of low fat food which have washed up on the supermarket shelves and a multitude of health clubs popping up i...

Judging from the tidal waves of low fat food which have washed up on the supermarket shelves and a multitude of health clubs popping up in the city, it feels that suddenly every one has been consumed by the idea of losing weight and looking slim.

Summer is definitely healthier but do we really really know what is our healthiest weight or measurement? Two approaches used together are emerging as gold standards8217; for such evaluation 8212; Body Mass Index and Waist/Hip Ratio. People confuse overweight8217; with overfat8217;. If you are in the optimal range, you may not need to lose kilos but even so, you may need to lose fat and improve muscle tone.

Body Mass Index BMI is a ratio of height and weight. It is determined by a mathematical formula. First, you divide your weight in pounds by your height in inches squared, then multiply the resulting number by 705. You should get a BMI that8217;s somewhere between 19 and 30. Now, 21-24 is the optimal BMI. At this level, there are no weight-related health problems.

Another way to judge, if you have too much upper body fat, is by measuring your waist at the mid-point between your bottom rib and your hip bone and your hips at their widest point. Then divide the waist measurement by the hip measurement, the resulting number is your waist/hip ratio WHR. If your waist is 30 inches and your hips are 37 inches, for example, you divide 30 by 37 to get a WHR of 0.81. What is the ideal WHR? Scientists quibble over hundredth of a percent. Most target 0.80 or less as desirable for both women and men.

Unfortunately it is not easy to determine the percentage of body fat. There are several ways to go about it from pinching skin folds with calipers to bio electric impedance running a mild current through the body to measure resistance to underwater weighing. These methods are not widely available outside specialists8217; offices and are not always reliable. They aren8217;t foolproof either to find out whether you are overweight or flabby. You should also believe what your mirror and appearance say.

If despite a good BMI and WHR, you look flabby then start exercising.