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Body Mass Index

How much should you weigh, given your particular height? A common new measurement is called the body-mass index, which computes a ratio of your height to your weight. It lets you know whether you are too skinny or overweight for your particular height. Here is the link to compute and learn about your BMI. However, as the articles below shows, it is actually your waist circumference, not your BMI, that may correlate best to your health.

Target Heart Rate for Exercise

American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Vol. 84, No. 2, 449-460, August 2006 "Conclusions: Current guidelines for BMI-based risk categories overestimate risks due to excess weight in persons aged 75 y. Increased mortality risk is more clearly indicated for relative abdominal obesity as measured by high WHR."

Don't throw the baby out with the bath water George A Bray Am. J. Clinical Nutrition,  Mar 2004;  79:  347 - 349.

BMI was only the first step for the clinician who was making a risk assessment (2). An assessment of central adiposity waist circumference was also needed. see www.ajcn.org/cgi/content/abstract/81/3/555 also.