Discuss the importance of body mass index (BMI) as an indicator of obesity
The reference standards most commonly used to assess body weight are height-weight tables and BMI. Because it is based on the ratio of weight to height, BMI is a better indicator of obesity than weight alone. The cutoff values for BMI classifications (underweight, healthy weight, overweight, and obese) are based on the association between BMI and weight-related morbidity and mortality. Most medical organizations, including the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), use the following BMI criteria to assess body weight in adults.
Underweight: <18.5 kg/m2
Healthy weight: 18.5-24.9 kg/m2
Overweight: 25.0-29.9 kg/m2
Obese: >30 kg/m2
People with a low BMI (<18.5 kg/m2 ) typically have low amounts of body fat, whereas those with a high BMI (>25.0 kg/m2 ) tend to have higher amounts of body fat. Because each BMI unit represents 6-8 pounds of body weight for a given height, an increase in just two BMI units represents a 12- to 16-pound increase in body weight.
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a. 1959 b. 1944 c. 1939 d. 1909
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A. 3 B. 5 C. 6 D. 8 E. 12