Spiga

Overview

Obesity is a condition in which the natural energy reserve, stored in the fatty tissue of humans and other mammals, exceeds healthy limits. It is commonly defined as a body mass index (weight divided by height squared) of 30 kg/m2 or higher.

Although obesity is an individual clinical condition, some authorities view it as a serious and growing public health problem. Some studies show that excessive body weight has been shown to predispose to various diseases, particularly cardiovascular diseases, diabetes mellitus type 2, sleep apnea and osteoarthritis.

How Do You Know If You Are Overweight?

After days after plowing through online articles and printed materials for fat loss, I know there are many opportunities to establish a healthy weight. Basically, hard is not bad when you say, a drug not abuse the body builder or wrestling. Nobody would unhealthy muscle in their bodies dressed since muscle is good, tissues!

It is to measure the amount of body fat, which tell us whether we are healthy or unhealthy. There are several ways to measure. We have the popular body mass index (BMI), waist circumference, waist-hop relationship, skinfold, bioelectric impedance analysis (BIA), DEXA, near infrared (NIR) interactance, hydrostatic weighing and air displacement.

Body Mass Index
This is a height to weight ratio and the resulting index gives an indication of a body fat percentage and the risk of obesity-related diseases. The formula is as follows:

BMI = weight (kg) /(height (m) x height (m))

This is by far the most common form of measurement, but it has its limitations, since it assumes there is a "typical "Build. Body builders and wrestlers is not your typical build so that the BMI is not useful in these cases. Children should be based on an age and gender specific BMI chart.

waist circumference
If you find other people store fat differently especially between women and men. Men tend to store fat around the abdomen and women around the hips and thighs. The measurement of waist circumference provides information on the distribution of body fat and risk for obesity related conditions.

To measure waist circumference, a tape measure sufficient length is required. The correct position for the measurement of waist circumference is midway between the upper hip bone and the lowest point of the chest. Measurement with the band should at this point midway. In cases where the center can not be found (in very overweight), with the band on the level of the navel must do.

waist to hip ratio
This is essentially the Ratio of waist circumference to hip ratio. In addition to measuring the waist circumference, hip size is measured and the resulting waist to hip ratio is as an indication of risk for cardiovascular disease.

Skinfold
This method of measurement of a Pinch of skin calipers on several standardized points on the body to determine the fat content subcutaneous layer thickness. An equation is then used to estimate the percentage of body fat based on the measurement taken.

bioelectrical impedance analysis
A common method for estimating the body composition. BIA measures the resistance to the flow of an electric current through the body fluids in the lean and fat tissue. Impedance is low in lean tissue and high in fat. Hence the amount of electrical impedance gives an estimate in the amount of fat in the body.

Near-Infrared Interactance
This is based on the principles of light absorption, reflection, and in the vicinity infrared spectroscopy. A computerized spectrophotometer that has a scan and probe can be used. The probe is on a selected body site such as the biceps and it emits an infrared light, which by both fat and muscle tissue and is reflected back to the probe. The differences in the field of optical density as a result of the difference in body composition, measured to an indirect measurement of body fat.

DEXA
DEXA uses two X-ray energies to measure body fat, Muscle, bone and mineral. It takes about 10 to 20 minutes for a full-body scan. The results can be used as whole body estimates of body fat, muscle, bone and mineral as well as regional body estimates.

Hydrostatic weighing
This method uses Archimedes principle, which states that if a body is submerged in water, there is a lively counter force equal to the weight of the water is displaced. Equipment for such a measure are generally in research laboratories.

Air displacement
This method is based on the same principle as hydrostatic weighing. Instead of water to measure body volume, air shift is to measure the body volume.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Antares_A

0 comments: