Health News
Many Americans, particularly women, are actually obese though they think their weight is healthy because of weaknesses in the body-mass index formula.
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Health News
Body-mass index fails to identify some as obese, mainly women
Many Americans, particularly women, are actually obese though they think their weight is healthy because of weaknesses in the body-mass index formula.A study comparing people's BMIs to a blood test and body scan found that the height-to-weight ratio formula was wrong in half of women and 1 in 4 men.
"It's commonly acknowledged that the BMI can produce inaccurate results for athletes and others with a lot of muscle mass," Misti Crane reports for The Columbus Dispatch . "But this research illuminates a problem on the other end of the scale: people who think they're fine but are carrying a lot of fat and little muscle."
"Particularly women, as they age, their muscles become inserted with fat, even though they stay thin and beautiful in a dress," said Dr. Eric Braverman, a New York physician who co-wrote the study.
Braverman and co-author New York State Health Commissioner Nirav R. Shah propose that the BMI cutoff for determining obesity should be 24 for women and 28 for men. Now, it's 30 for both sexes. "They also say that doctors should consider blood tests to measure leptin, a hormone that goes up with increased body fat, and DXA scans. The scans are commonly used to assess bone density but can be used to analyze body fat," Crane reports.
Though experts know the BMI calculation is not perfect, there is one major advantage: It's free. "You have to understand that BMI is an estimate of fatness, it's not a measure of fatness. But there are very few screening-tool estimates we have that are as simple to use," said Dr. Patricia Choban, medical director of the bariatric-surgery problem at Mount Carmel West Hospital. (Read more)
- British Researchers Say A Simple Calculation Can Predict Likelihood Of A Baby's Chance Of Becoming Obese During Childhood
If only we knew from the start which babies were predisposed to becoming diabetic and hypertensive and overweight . . . News out this week suggests we can. NBC News reports that British researchers have published findings in the journal PLOS ONE saying...
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by Dr. Madelyn Fernstrom Only when you learn how to ?size yourself up? can you figure out the answer that applies to you. While it?s always important to track your body weight and BMI, your body fat percentage is also a number you?ll want to know. Often...
- Knowledge Is Power: The Know Your Health Program At Lifebridge Health
The following is an excerpt from MdMD for Life 2011, available now. For 50-year-old Patricia Smith*, nothing beats a bowl of Cocoa Krispies or a stack of Oreos, paired with a tall glass of whole milk. These days, however, you?re more likely to find her...
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Do you have questions about what surgical weight loss looks like? Now is your chance to follow it live on Monday, August 17 at 9:30 a.m. Dr. Alex Gandsas, Division Head, Bariatric and Minimally Invasive Surgery at Sinai Hospital of Baltimore, will perform...
- Bone Up On Your Knowledge Of Osteoporosis
Osteoporosis can cause the loss of 20 percent of total bone mass for women in the first five to seven years after menopause, but it may be reversed if detected early. Even with advanced cases, treatment can improve bone health. At the Sinai Hospital Center...