Physical fitness and its components to measure

Physical Fitness is a state of health and well being (1). It refers to the ability of your body systems to work together efficiently to allow you to be healthy and perform activities of daily living (2). Today we will discuss about the body weight in relation to other aspects of body.

BODY MASS INDEX (BMI)

BMI is an attempt to quantify the amount of tissue mass (muscle, fat and bone) in an individual. And then categorize that person as under weight, normal weight, overweight and obese. It is calculated as the body mass divided by the square of body height, resulting from mass in kilograms and height in metres. It is categorized as :

WAIST HIP RATIO (WHR)

WHR is the waist measurement divided by hip measurement. WHR has been used as a measure of health, and the risk of developing serious health conditions.

According to WHO, a healthy WHR is:

• 0.9 or less in Men
• 0.85 or less in Women

In Men
0.95 or lower : Low health risk
0.96 – 1.0 : Moderate health risk
1.0 or higher : High health risk

In Women
0.80 or lower : Low health risk
0.81 – 0.85 : Moderate health risk
0.86 or higher : High health risk

WAIST HEIGHT RATIO (WHtR)

WHtR is the waist circumference divided by the height, both measured in same unit. Higher values of WHtR indicate higher risk of obesity related cardiovascular diseases.

In Men

• <= 0.34 : EXTREMELY SLIM
• 0.43 to 0.52 : HEALTHY
• 0.53 to 0.57 : OVERWEIGHT
• 0.58 to 0.62 : VERY OVERWEIGHT
• 0.63+ : MORBIDLY OBESE

In Women

• <= 0.34 : EXTREMELY SLIM
• 0.42 to 0.48 : HEALTHY
• 0.49 to 0.53 : OVERWEIGHT
• 0.54 to 0.62 : VERY OVERWEIGHT
• 0.58+ : MORBIDLY OBESE

WHtR is a much better measure of the risk of heart attack and stroke. A WHtR of over 0.5 is critical and signifies an increased risk.

IDEAL WEIGHT FOR PHYSICAL FITNESS

A person should know his ideal weight according to his height. It helps in keeping one healthy and get going.
These parameters will help you to access your ideal body weight and to have a risk free life. Any further questions regarding your weight, be free to allow us.