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You’ve probably heard of Body Mass Index (BMI). It’s a measure of our size, and whether or not our weight is healthy. Saying that, it is just a guide. We know that lean women with PCOS, for example, have a ‘normal’ BMI, but carry more of there weight as unhealthy fat.

However, as I’m often asked about this measure of size, I thought I’d share page 193 of my book Conquer Your PCOS Naturally which explains this…

Body Mass Index in Polycystic Ovary Syndrome?

The risk of PCOS and the severity of its symptoms increase with increasing BMI. On one hand, where losing weight with an improved food plan and exercise restores fertility in overweight and obese women with PCOS, such a weight loss can be hazardous for fertility in lean women.3

Body mass index is a weight to height ratio used to help determine ideal weight. To calculate this, divide your weight in kilograms by your height in metres squared:

BMI = weight (kg)/height (m)2

? or ? multiply your weight in pounds by 703. Then divide this by your height in inches squared:

BMI = weight (lb) x 703/height (inches)2

An ideal BMI falls between 20–25, although different sources give some variation on the lower end of this scale. For example, the chart below lists an ideal weight as a BMI above 18.5 (although this is not ideal for optimal fertility). BMI is by no means perfect for all people (i.e. athletes may falsely fall in the obese class, and it is not accurate in children or the elderly), however it is a good, simple indicator of healthy weight.

How else can you assess your size and risk of dis-ease? Well, that’s for a future post.

Don’t get caught up in this measure though, it’s just another guide.

From PCOS to perfect health, with love,

Dr. Rebecca Harwin
The PCOS Expert
Chiropractor & Bestselling Author of
Conquer Your PCOS Naturally
www.ConquerYourPCOSNaturally.com

 

 

 

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P.S. Want a PDF copy of this article? Click on the cover to download it now!