Your body mass index (BMI) is often used to further evaluate your overall health. The lower the body mass, typically, the healthier you are. However, your body mass index can get too low to the point where it’s unhealthy. What is considered a healthy body mass index and how can you calculate your body mass index? Also, how can Dr. Hinz’s chiropractic care in the Franklin, Tennesse area help?
What Is Body Mass Index?
Your body mass index is your weight-to-height ratio. It is used as an indicator of obesity. Your body mass index can be used to help determine potential health risks and diseases associated with being overweight or underweight.
Doctors use body mass index to help judge one’s health. However, BMI isn’t foolproof and can lead to false readings. Factors like muscle build can have a big impact on BMI.
How Do You Calculate Body Mass Index?
Your body mass index is found by dividing one’s weight in kilograms by the square of one’s height in meters. Obviously, as Americans, some of these metrics sound foreign to us. You can find feet to meters and pounds to kilograms conversions online.
There are also websites online that can calculate your BMI for you, as long as you simply enter your weight and height. Most doctors will calculate your body mass index when you go in for a regular checkup.
What Is a Healthy Body Mass Index?
As mentioned earlier, the body mass index is not fool-proof. While it can be a good way to gauge how healthy someone is, there are many factors that go into a healthy lifestyle. Here’s what the National Institutes of Health says your body mass index means:
- A BMI under 18.5 is underweight
- A BMI between 18.5 and 24.9 is considered ideal
- A BMI between 25 and 29.9 is considered overweight
- A BMI over 30 indicates obesity
As mentioned earlier, you can calculate your BMI yourself or find a website that calculates it for you, There are also resources online that tell you the ideal weight for certain heights.
Why Body Mass Index Can Be Flawed
While BMI gives a basic overview of someone’s health, it’s not the number one indicator. This is because it doesn’t take several key factors into consideration. For example, athletes have high BMI’s because of their muscle mass. This doesn’t mean they’re overweight. Here are some other key factors that BMI doesn’t take into account:
- Waist measurements
- Hip measurements
- Distribution of fat
- The proportion of muscle mass
It’s important to understand that BMI doesn’t tell the full story in regards to health. It can be a nice way to get a quick overall overview of health.
How You Can Improve Your BMI
If your BMI indicated you are overweight or obese it may be time to consider a lifestyle change. The most important part of a healthy lifestyle is diet. A healthy diet can help you lose weight quickly even with minimal exercise.
If your BMI indicates that your underweight, it also may be time to consider a lifestyle change. For some people, it can feel impossible to gain weight. Talking with your doctors and figuring out a nutritional plan can go a long way in helping you gain weight.
How Can Chiropractic Care Help?
Chiropractic care takes a holistic approach to wellness. While chiropractic care may not help you lose weight directly, it can greatly impact your health in other ways that contribute to a healthy lifestyle. One of the biggest reasons people gain weight is the lack of exercise due to injury. Here are some of the things that chiropractic cair can help with:
- Back pain
- Migraines
- Neck pain
- Pinched nerves
- Nerve pain
- Whiplash
- And more
Chiropractic care can help in ways that regular medication can’t. This is because chiropractic care treats the issue at the source, rather than the side effects.
The Benefits of Chiropractic Care
There are numerous numbers of benefits that come with chiropractic care. If you are a resident of Franklin, Tennesse, consider Dr. Hinz and his chiropractic work. Here are some statistics that point to the effectiveness of chiropractic care:
- Chiropractors treat more than 35 million Americans
- 95% of chiropractic users say it’s effective
- A consumer survey found that chiropractic care outperformed other back pain treatments
- It’s a great alternative to addictive pain medications
Contact us Today For an Adjustment
Dr. Hinz can help you get your health back in order. If you’re suffering from chronic pain in the Franklin area, chiropractic care can help in a major way. When you are ready, call us for an appointment. We’re happy to schedule you for a time to get an adjustment.
Are you suffering from back pain, sports injury, or an accident? Did you know Chiropractic can possibly help treat these injuries?
Get in touch with Dr. Pete Hinz at Cool Springs Chiropractic today for a FREE consultation.
