What is BMI (Body Mass Index) Anyway?So what is this BMI thing anyway? Do we 50 Plus'ers need to worry about it? Or are we past 'all that' now? And just to be clear before we dive headlong into these sorta technical waters, this is not an in depth discussion about Body Mass Index. We provide you a link at the bottom of the page if you want to really 'get into it'. We're giving you the real simple, elevator version of this so you can use it if and as you see fit. OK? Good. Here goes. BMI or Body Mass Index ... in it's simplest form compares a person's height and weight. Nothing more. Nothing less. It doesn't actually measure the percentage of body fat even though that is how people sometimes perceive it. It is though THE most widely used diagnostic tool to identify weight problems. A bunch of very smart people have put together charts that have gathered info on what are typical weights for different heights of people. They break them down into those that are considered underweight, normal, overweight, obese, really obese and really, really obese. Well, they use more formal terms but you get the idea. This is done using a whole bunch of people so that the averages do tend to have 'statistically relevant' meaning as the techie types say. Then they make up a chart or table that puts all of this info in one place. The result? It's so easy to use that you can simply and quickly figure out what category you're in. You can pretty quickly determine your situation. BMI & Your Fitness At 50 Plus Fitness Walking we are all about fitness for us on the 'golden' side of 50 and encourage folks to work toward being fit. Keeping your weight under control is a part of that. Knowing whether you have a weight issue that you need to control is where the Body Mass Index tool comes in. So the answer our early question
"You should be aware of it and do what you think is best for you". From there you need to plot your own course. By this stage in life we know we're in control of what happens to us. If we find we're not as trim, svelte and energetic as we'd like to be then maybe it's a good idea to do something about it. For starters you can get ... Your Own BMI Chart One way to keep track of your BMI thingie is to have your own chart and measure yourself from time to time. You're welcome to download (right click) your own free personal Body Mass Index (BMI) Chart here. BMI Fun! Another 'sorta' fun way that we use to get into 'BMI' is with our *Wii Fit Program. We say 'sorta' fun because sometimes when Wii is evaluating you, you see the BMI needle race up the scale and darned if the thing doesn't stop where want it to! The overall experience though is lots of fun and a much easier way to work on that 'caboose'! *Here's an excerpt from one of our recent newsletters on Wii.
One cute little thing it gives you is something called your Wii Fit Age based on your real age, weight, BMI, balance and so on. It’s quite energizing when we find our Wii Age is a whole lot lower than our actual age. Ahh - anti-aging nirvana at last! Truly an amazing and thoroughly enjoyable experience for us both! It's a good addition to our regular stretches, walking and diet practices. Who says us 'seasoned' kids can’t have as much fun as those 'other' kids? Totally FUN! Here's an interview with Shigeru Miyamoto - the inventor of this device here. He's a really neat guy. *(Hint: If you're shopping for a Wii package click on the smaller link there for better pricing)! Your Own Weight Loss Program Need some good weight loss programs to help you with your weight issues? Visit our friends Cari at Ditch Diets, Live Light and Gail at Easy Weight Loss Tips. They have a couple of great sites with tons of excellent information! In Depth BMI Info As promised, for those of you wanting more in depth info here is the link to the Body Mass Index page at Wikipedia. This is a pretty thorough discussion. Enjoy!
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