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Weight Concerns
Published in Carolyn Torkelson, Catherine Marienau, Beyond Menopause, 2023
Carolyn Torkelson, Catherine Marienau
On the spectrum of disordered eating, obesity is a national crisis in the United States. The incidence of obesity has increased dramatically over the past 20 years such that it is now considered to be an epidemic. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, obesity now affects more than one-third of adults, with two-thirds of the adult population either overweight or obese.5 Nearly two-thirds of women 40–59 years old and about three-fourths of women 60 and older are overweight, defined as a body mass index (BMI) of greater than 25 kg/m2. Furthermore, almost half of the women in these age groups are obese, meaning a BMI of 30 kg/m2 or greater. BMI is a useful tool but far from a perfect measurement because it does not distinguish between body fat and muscle weight, and it does not indicate an individual’s overall health.
Ageing
Published in Henry J. Woodford, Essential Geriatrics, 2022
Body mass index (BMI) is calculated by dividing the person's weight in kilograms by their height in metres squared (kg/m2). According to WHO criteria, those with a BMI < 18.5 kg/m2 are defined as underweight. Limitations of this assessment method include the presence of oedema or ascites, loss of height due to osteoporotic fractures and it doesn't account for recent weight loss (unless serial measurements are taken). If height cannot be attained (e.g. people who cannot stand), it can be estimated by measuring ulna length.35 The usefulness of anthropometrics, such as skin fold thickness, is unclear. The Malnutrition Universal Screening Tool (MUST) aims to improve the sensitivity of the BMI by adding to it estimations of recent unintentional weight loss (over the past few months) and likelihood of poor oral intake in those who are acutely unwell over the coming five-day period (leading to a total score between zero and six).35 Serum albumin concentration has poor sensitivity and specificity to measure nutritional status.
Maternal obesity
Published in Hung N. Winn, Frank A. Chervenak, Roberto Romero, Clinical Maternal-Fetal Medicine Online, 2021
D. Yvette LaCoursiere, Thomas R. Moore
In nonpregnant adults, BMI is commonly used as a measure of adiposity. The World Health Organization defines BMI as a BMI between 18.5 and 24.9, underweight as overweight as 25 to 29.9, and obesity as >30. For more assessments and risk stratification, it defines class 1 obesity 30 to 34.9, class 2 obesity as 35 to 39.9, and class 3 obesity >40. In obstetrics, it is the practice to use a prepregnancy BMI for risk assessment and to follow GWG. Using a measured prepregnancy BMI is Alternatively, a first-trimester measured BMI or prepregnancy BMI can serve as a proxy. Notably, a self-reported pregravid BMI will underestimate a woman’s BMI category. Table 4 provides formulas for calculation two online references. BMI can be calculated by (i) dividing the individual’s weight in kilograms by height in meters squared or (ii) multiplying their weight in pounds by 703 and dividing this by the height in inches squared. Waist circumference is measured in the horizontal plane at the level of the iliac crest at the end of inspiration.
Body mass index and occupational accidents among health care workers: in BMI we must trust?
Published in Acta Clinica Belgica, 2023
BMI is a measure of weight adjusted for height. It is a ‘surrogate’ measure of body fat because it measures excess weight rather than excess fat. It is a simple, inexpensive, and non-invasive measure of body fat. BMI can be routinely measured and calculated with reasonable accuracy, e.g. in an occupational health care setting. The clinical limitations should be considered. Age, sex, ethnicity, and muscle mass can influence the relationship between BMI and body fat. Also, BMI does not distinguish between excess fat, muscle or bone mass, nor does it provide any indication of the distribution of fat among individuals. BMI should serve as the ‘initial’ screening of overweight and obesity. Other factors, such as fat distribution, genetics, and fitness level, should be considered. Measuring waist circumference could be seen as a good alternative or a supplementary measurement to BMI calculation, especially among the working, muscular, adult population [2–5].
COVID-19: quarantine, isolation, and lifestyle diseases
Published in Archives of Physiology and Biochemistry, 2023
Heena Rehman, Md Iftekhar Ahmad
BMI (Body mass index) of a person reflects the health of a person. The BMI of a healthy person should range between 18.5 and 2.9. People falling below this range are said to be underweight and people falling above this range are overweight. People with having a BMI of more than 30 are considered obese. Since the people are not able to go to gyms during quarantine; they try to maintain their weight either by dieting, fasting, or using weight-reducing drugs (Hensrud 2001). These measures might result in losing too much weight and becoming underweight. There are several health risks of underweight such as loss of lean mass might affect their immune system (Chandra 2002), menstrual irregularities, infertility(Jokela et al. 2008), and osteoporosis (Bachrach-Lindström et al. 2000). Women might start to exercise anorexia nervosa to control their weight.
Impact of comorbid substance use and infectious and non-communicable diseases in a cross-sectional study, Thailand
Published in Journal of Substance Use, 2022
Demographic and drug-related personal information were reported as numbers, proportions, minimum and maximum, means and standard deviations. BMI was calculated by dividing weight in kilograms by height in meters squared. Cutoffs for BMI ranged from less than 18.5 as underweight to over 30 as obese (WHO expert consultation, 2004). Systolic and diastolic blood pressures were categorized into quartiles. Mann–Whitney U test was employed to analyze categorical data for demographic and personal characteristics based on gender while chi-squared test was used to analyze categorical data on comorbid substance use. Because of the small number of co-concurrent substance users, only methamphetamine dependence and comorbid methamphetamine dependence and psychosis (hallucination, depression, schizophrenia) were recruited for binary logistic regression analysis with adjustment for potential confounding factors consisting of age, BMI, diastolic and systolic blood pressure. Odds Ratios and 95% Confidence Intervals were determined and p value of less than 0.05 was used to define statistical significance.