Heart disease, diabetes, cancer – being overweight according to BMI has long been associated with various health risks. It is clear that obesity is considered a widespread disease, but if the BMI calculator spits out a slightly too high value, in many cases this is no cause for concern.
In fact, in addition to genetic predisposition, lifestyle also contributes significantly to the health risk. Therefore, if your BMI is too high, there are a few factors, such as diet, exercise or sleeping habits, that you should definitely not ignore.
Balanced breakfast from VERIVAL
But what does being overweight actually mean according to BMI? And what does the value actually say about your health? We took a closer look:
The history of BMI
To understand the actual significance of the BMI, let's take a brief look at the history of the BMI:
The formula was developed as early as 1832 by the Belgian mathematician Adolphe Quetelet, but the calculation was first published under the name body mass index as late as 1972.
The value was actually only intended to be used for comparing populations and was not meant to be used to assess the weight of individuals. Strictly speaking, this approach is not scientifically correct.
However, US life insurance companies very soon began to use the BMI to calculate premiums. The formula was used to map and include the additional health risk posed by obesity.
Since the early 1980s, the World Health Organization (WHO) has also been using the BMI as a benchmark to assess health risks associated with being overweight.
However, since this calculation is considered to be very questionable, the BMI and its use have been repeatedly heavily criticized. Do you want to calculate your BMI? With the Verival BMI calculator, you can determine your BMI quickly and easily.
At what point are you considered overweight according to BMI?
The BMI relates your body weight to your height. The resulting value is intended to provide information on whether you are considered to be of normal weight or fall into the category of being overweight or underweight.
In adults, we speak of “normal weight” when the BMI is between 18.5 and 25.
If your BMI is above this range, you are considered overweight. However, there are further gradations here, because not all types of overweight are the same.
A BMI is considered too low if your score is below 18.5. In this case, you are considered underweight.
Preadiposity – mild overweight
We speak of pre-obesity when the value is between 25 and 29.9. However, in most cases this is not yet a cause for concern. Various studies show that slightly overweight people have hardly any health disadvantages compared to their normal-weight peers.
It is also often the case that people with a higher muscle percentage fall within this range. For example, according to this formula, athletes are quickly considered overweight.
Since body shapes and dispositions are very diverse and individual, you should always check with your doctor if you are overweight according to the BMI.
Obesity – increased health risk
You are considered obese if your BMI is over 30. There are three different degrees of obesity:
| BMI | Risk of secondary diseases | |
| Obesity degree I | 30 to 34.9 | Increased risk |
| Obesity degree II | 35 to 39.9 | High risk |
| Obesity degree III | 40 and above | Very high risk |
If your BMI is in the obese range, you should definitely see a doctor to determine your health status and your risk of secondary diseases.
Obesity is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease and metabolic disorders such as diabetes.
According to a study by the University of Manchester, it also increases the risk of developing certain types of cancer.
As we learned during our foray into the history of the BMI, the formula was never intended to evaluate individuals based on their health status.
For example, if you are researching the risk of disease associated with obesity using a sample of hundreds of people, muscular athletes with a higher BMI are not as significant. This shows that the BMI can be used to research the frequency and distribution of diseases in the population.
However, it is wrong to believe that you can use the BMI value to draw conclusions about your personal risk of disease. You should always discuss your risk with your doctor, regardless of whether or not you are considered to be at higher risk based on your BMI.
You can usually discuss this with your doctor during a routine check-up. However, if your BMI is extremely high or extremely low, we strongly recommend that you seek medical advice outside of routine check-ups.
Healthy despite being overweight according to BMI
So we can see that although BMI calculates the ratio between your weight and height, your health is not revealed in great detail by your BMI alone.
Your lifestyle is far more important. In addition to getting enough sleep and regular exercise, this includes, above all, a healthy and balanced diet.
Healthy organic breakfast from VERIVAL – discover it now!
This means starting the day with a nutritious breakfast. You can do this particularly well, for example, with fresh organic porridge, a well-known classic among breakfast dishes. In addition to long-chain carbohydrates and lots of dietary fiber, you also get numerous vitamins and minerals.
Do you know your daily calorie requirement? Use our free calorie calculator to find out.
Refine your porridge however you like with fresh or dried fruit, nuts, seeds and delicious spices.
