Height, Weight, & Age Tables - Do You Know Your 'Ideal' Weight?

Being overweight is defined simply as "Being too heavy for ones height." Everyones has there own unique bone structure, metabolism, as well as a unique set of organs. Who dictates what is 'too heavy'? If everyone is so different, then why aren't our medical treatments more specialized? How directly is health related to weight? The answers will most likely surprise you.

The Body Mass Index (BMI) percentage is normally healthy when between 18.5% and 25%, but can vary from person to person. Over 26-30% is considered overweight, over 30% body fat is considered obese. Having a high BMI greatly increases your chance of death, as it raises your chance for several health problems. But, interestingly enough, having a 'unhealthy' BMI increases your chances of medical problems, including; asthma, pneumonia, and tuberculosis. Although statistics suggest a higher BMI is associated with a higher death rate, your own personal 'healthy' BMI should be assessed by your doctor.

Why are treatments these days so generic and unspecific? Doctors are spending less and less time with patients, neglecting specific needs, and there receiving poor treatment as a result. Thats the major difference between eastern and western medicine. Eastern medicine subscribes to the philosophy that everyones body is 100% unique, and should have a 100% unique treatment. Western medicine is a polar opposite, sheerly about the generic 'one treatment fits all' approach. Eastern medicine has been proven in numerous study s as far more effective, but the health care in eastern country s, specifically china, is suffering because of lack of funding.

Weight is irrelevant to health, weight has nothing to do with BMI, and BMI is a large part of your health. What does all of this mean? It's simple, your BMI (% of body fat) could be very low, and you could be very heavy. Muscle weighs more than fat. A body builder could have the height of 6'2" weighing 275 pounds, but could very easily have a low BMI. To asses your BMI, Height/weight/age tables and other formulas are generally very inaccurate. For an accurate reading of your BMI, you need to visit your doctors office or purchase a Body Fat scale (refer to the link at the end of this article.) Lowering your BMI can add years to your life, increase your energy and liveliness, as well as improve your general quality of life. If you don't know your BMI score, your health, and the health of your loved ones could be at risk.