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Nutrition Center Offers Help in Determining Your Body Mass Index

As part of its commitment to community health education, The Nutrition Center at Glens Falls Hospital is offering a the guide below to help people determine whether their weight is posing serious health risks.

The guide enables people to assess their own Body Mass Index — a measurement of a person’s weight in relation to height. Body Mass Index is a focal point of the first federally approved guidelines for identifying and treating overweight and obese people, issued by the National Lung, Heart and Blood Institute.

The NLHBI report found that nearly 55% of American adults are either overweight or obese — greatly increasing their risk of hypertension, diabetes, heart disease, stroke, cancer, osteoarthritis, sleep apnea and other serious medical conditions.

In order to improve identification and risk assessment in individuals, the report recommends that all adults have their BMI determined. Individuals found to be overweight or obese are advised to consult their physician or a registered dietitian for a more detailed risk assessment and treatment program.

Here’s how to assess your risk

New federal guidelines have established that people with a body mass index of 25 or more may be at risk. To see if, and to what extent, your BMI is endangering your health, please reference the chart below as follows: find your height in the left column and follow across to find your weight.

If your BMI is 25 or higher, please consult your doctor or the Nutrition Center at Glens Falls Hospital at (518) 926-2615..