Health Tip: Calculating Your BMI
Body-mass index (BMI) is a good indicator of whether you are at a healthy weight.
The U.S. National Library of Medicine says BMI is calculated by multiplying your weight in pounds by 703, and dividing that number by your height in inches. Then divide the result again by your height in inches.
The agency offers the following ranges for interpreting BMI:
* A score below 18.5 indicates being underweight.
* Between 18.5 and 24.9 means a healthy body weight.
* Between 25 and 29.9 means you are overweight.
* Between 30 and 39.9 indicates obesity.
* A score of 40 or higher indicates morbid obesity.
Health Tip: Help Your Child Develop Healthy Habits
Healthy habits for regular exercise and a good diet start at home, and they should start at a young age.
The American Heart Association offers these suggestions to help your child stay healthy for life:
* Set a good example by living a healthy lifestyle yourself.
* Make exercise a family activity that involves everyone. Make family time for exercise every day, choosing sports and games that everyone enjoys.
* Set a limit on the amount of time your child spends watching TV, playing video games, or on the computer.
* Set goals for your child, such as a certain amount of daily physical activity or limits on the amount of unhealthy foods allowed.
* Encourage and reward good behavior, but never with food.
* Have a healthy dinner as a family every night.
* Teach your child to read food labels, and to recognize which foods are healthy and which aren't.
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