Monday Fitness Focus: Do You Know Your BMI?

If you hop on the scale every Monday and assess your health and fitness based on the number you see there, you may be missing out on a lot of important information. In conjunction with your physician's recommendations, one helpful piece of information to know is your "BMI" or Body Mass Index. According to the CDC, "Body Mass Index (BMI) is a number calculated from a person's weight and height. BMI provides a reliable indicator of body fatness for most people and is used to screen for weight categories that may lead to health problems."

Do you know your BMI? You can calculate it freely and easily today:

• Centers for Disease Control BMI Information and Calculator - This web site contains much helpful information, including a BMI calculator for children and teens based on their gender and age information. This calculator will not give you your exact BMI number, but will give you the range in which your BMI falls. Helpful interpretive information is included.
• Weight Watchers BMI Calculator - If you're one of those people who wants to know the exact number of your BMI, you can use the WW calculator free of charge or obligation.

Once you know your BMI, it's time to start taking baby steps towards health and fitness under the supervision of your health care professional. If you are already at a healthy weight, the information provided on the CDC page will help you greatly in looking at the overall health of your family and coming up with strategies for success.