Are you healthy or Obese ?

All you need to do is step on a scale and take simple measurements of your waist and hips.

Hip - Waist ratio :-

To determine if you have a healthy waist to hip ratio, use a measuring tape to measure the circumference of your hips at the widest part of your buttocks. Then measure your waist at the smaller circumference of your natural waist, usually just above the belly button.

To determine the ratio, divide your waist measurement by your hip measurement.

Waist to Hip Ratio Chart
Male	Female	Health Risk Based Solely on WHR
0.95 or below	0.80 or below	Low Risk
0.96 to 1.0	0.81 to 0.85	Moderate Risk
1.0+	0.85+	High Risk

Your health is not only affected by how much body fat you have, but also by where most of the fat is located on your body. People who tend to gain weight mostly in their hips and buttocks have roughly a pear body shape, while people who tend to gain weight mostly in the abdomen have more of an apple body shape.

If you have an apple shaped body rather than a pear shaped body, you are at increased risk for the health problems associated with obesity, such as diabetes, coronary heart disease and high blood pressure - that's something you inherited, and have had since birth - but you can take special care to keep your weight at a healthy level, eat nutritiously, exercise as appropriate, and maintain other healthy lifestyle habits.

As long as you avoid excess weight, being an apple shaped body or a pear shaped body doesn't put you at special risk - it's just one of those things to keep in mind. And even pear shaped people should take particular care to keep their weight within normal limits, to avoid the health problems associated with obesity.

BMI (Body Mass Index) is a measurement of body fat based on height and weight that applies to both men and women between the ages of 18 and 65 years.

BMI can be used to indicate if you are overweight, obese, underweight or normal. A healthy BMI score is between 20 and 25. A score below 20 indicates that you may be underweight; a value above 25 indicates that you may be overweight.

BMI = (Weight in Kilograms/ (Height in Meters x Height in Meters))

Your will fit in one of 6 body weight categories.

#1 Healthy weight

Body mass index (BMI) score of 19-24 and normal waist circumference and / or Waist-Hip Ratio. Life expectancy is normal and health risks are relatively low for this group.

#2 Muscular

BMI 25 or higher and normal or low Waist-Hip Ratio. Low health risk just like the healthy weight group. Athletes or weightlifters with a lot of lean muscle mass fit in this category

#3 Overweight

BMI 25-29 and moderate to high waist circumference or Waist-Hip Ratio. Life expectancy may be 3 years less for an overweight person than for someone who has a healthy weight.*

The average person in the U. S. is in the overweight group. If you are overweight, losing about 2-3 inches off your waist and / or losing 25 pounds will put you in one of the healthy weight groups.

#4 Obese

BMI above 30 and either high waist circumference or high Waist-Hip Ratio. Research on obesity shows that life expectancy may be 6-7 years less for an obese person than for someone who has a healthy weight.* If you are in this group, you may still avoid the major health risks of obesity with exercise plans and a healthy diet. Consult with your doctor about the changes you’ll be making.

#5 Thin with high body fat

BMI less than 25 and high waist to hip ratio. Health risks are similar to the Overweight group. People who watch what they eat but don’t exercise may be in this category.

#6 Underweight with low body fat

: BMI of 18 or lower and low waist to hip ratio. For women, a BMI below 19 had only a slightly elevated health risk among non-smokers. For men, a BMI of 20 or less had an increased health risk of over 20%, even for non-smokers. If you do smoke and are in this group, your health risks are much higher.