Excerpt from Chapter 3: BODY WEIGHT ASSESSMENT **
People people want to know what they should weigh. But body weight, as measured on a bathroom scale, can actually be misleading and certainly does not tell the whole story. There are a number of techniques that can be used to determine what your client should weigh. In this chapter we will cover the familiar Weight versus Height table, and then introduce a new BMI-based Weight versus Height table, a new Body-Fat Percentage table and Maximum and Optimum Waist Size tables - tables not found in any other book.
BMI-Based Weight vs Height Table A more convenient way to use BMI is the New BMI-Based Weight vs. Height Chart shown in Table 3.4, where the underweight category corresponds to BMI = 18.5 or less, normal weight is for BMI = 18.6 to 24.9, overweight is for BMI = 25.0 to 29.9, obese is for BMI = 30.0 to 39.9 and extremely obese is for BMI = 40 or more.
Example 3.1: Determine "Normal" weight for a man who is 171 cm tall and weighs 75 kilos.
Scan the far left of the Table 3.4 and locate his 171 cm height. From this number run your finger horizontally (to the right) until it intersects the vertical column headed by "Normal Weight." The numbers at the intersection indicate he should weigh between 55 and 73 kg, that is what he should weigh for his BMI to be between 18.6 and 24.9. So, according to Table 3.4, at 75 kg he is slightly overweight.
Waist to Hip Ratio
The waist-to-hip ratio is often viewed as an indicator of health and the risk of developing serious health conditions. It is also used as a measurement of obesity, which in turn is a possible indicator of other serious health conditions.
The waist is measured at the smallest circumference of the natural waist, usually just above the belly button. If the waist is convex rather than concave, such as is the case for obese men, the waist should be measured at a level 2.5 cm above the navel. Hip circumference is measured at the widest part of the buttocks or hip.
The National Institute of Diabetes, Digestive and Kidney Diseases states that men with waist-to-hip ratios of more than 1.0 are at increased health risk. Moreover, The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has found that men with a ratio less than 1.0 are considered safe. In fact, men with waist-to-hip ratios of 0.9 correlate strongly with general health and fertility. And men with waist-to-hip ratios in the 0.9 range have less prostate and testicular cancers.
Example 3.4: Determine the maximum waist size for a 47 year-old man who is 178 cm tall and has a 42 cm neck circumference.
Enter the left column of Table 3.8 at a height of 178 inches. From this number run your finger horizontally (to the right) until it intersects the vertical column headed by his 42 cm neck size. The number at the intersection is his Maximum Waist Size which is 92.2 cm.
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