| Everyone knows that carrying extra body fat | | | | oblivious to. |
| is a potential time bomb by increasing the | | | | |
| risks of getting heart diseases, stroke and | | | | As a fitness personal trainer, it is not |
| certain types of cancers. These are potential | | | | uncommon that when I measure body fat of my |
| killer diseases. By keeping your body fat | | | | Asian clients who do not look fat physically, |
| down, these diseases may be avoided and even | | | | their body fat ratio are high. |
| prevented. | | | | |
| | | | According to Dr Mabel Yap, Deputy Director of |
| One of the most popular methods of measuring | | | | the Department of Nutrition, Ministry of |
| whether one is overweight is by using the | | | | Health, Singapore, ethnic differences in BMI |
| Body Mass Index or BMI calculation. The | | | | values have important public health |
| formula for calculating BMI is:- | | | | implications as they imply that cut-off |
| | | | points for obesity should be lower or higher |
| ?Body weight in kilograms (pounds) divided by | | | | in different ethnic groups. "Lowering the |
| height in metres (ft) squared. | | | | cut-off point from 30 to 27 in Singapore, for |
| | | | example, would double the prevalence of |
| The World Health Organization (WHO) | | | | obesity," she said. |
| recommends that a BMI measurement above 25 | | | | |
| indicates that a person is overweight and a | | | | In a study, the School of Physical Education |
| BMI measurement over 30 indicates that he is | | | | of the National Institute of Education, |
| obese. | | | | Singapore and Wageningen University of |
| | | | Netherlands found that body built of a person |
| However, is this calculation accurate? The | | | | does affect the BMI calculation of various |
| BMI recommendation by WHO was based on | | | | ethnic groups. This result was further |
| studies done largely on Caucasians. Thus the | | | | confirmed by other studies in Thailand and |
| BMI recommendation by WHO may be an accurate | | | | Indonesia. |
| indication of obesity on an average | | | | |
| Caucasian. There are now findings to suggest | | | | As commonly known, BMI calculation is not |
| that people of Asian and African origins have | | | | accurate for muscular people (muscles are |
| a significantly higher percentage of body fat | | | | heavier than fat) and now, it may also not be |
| compared to Caucasians although they may look | | | | accurate across the board for all ethnic |
| slimmer than their Caucasian counterparts. | | | | groups. For a start, Asians and Africans may |
| Therein lays the danger. If you are an Asian | | | | want to define their BMI results as being |
| or an African, you may look slim but may | | | | overweight if it is above 23 and obese if |
| carry extra body fat of which you are | | | | above 27. |