Calculating Your Body Mass Index; Is Your Health At Risk?

Title:Calculating Your Body Mass Index; Is Your Health At Risk?Word Count:459Summary:抯Body Mass Index is an indicator of surplus body fat and has since replaced the height-weightcharts. It is used to assess a person level of health risk.Keywords:health, overweight, body fatArticle Body:Physical health can be measured (with certain exceptions) through the appropriateness of a抯 抯person weight to his height; where the body weight refers to the measure of one heavinessand the height is the measure of his tallness. For instance, a woman measuring 5 ft high (1.52m), with a medium body frame should weigh between 103 lbs to 115 lbs (46.72 kg to 52.16 kg)to be considered healthy.Another example: a man standing 5 ft 8 in (1.72 m) tall, with a large body frame is healthy if heis weighing between 144 lbs to 163 lbs (65.32 kg to 73.94 kg). Otherwise, if their weight islower than the desired body weight for their height, they are considered underweight. And if, inturn, their weight is higher than the desired body weight for their height, they are said to beoverweight.Body Mass Index is an indicator of surplus body fat and has since replaced the height-weightcharts as mentioned in the above examples. It is a mathematical ratio of height to weight that is抯used to determine body composition (or body fat percentage) to assess a person level ofhealth risk. Calculating BMI is as follows:

BMI = Weight (in kg)orBMI = Weight (in lbs) x 700Height (in m)2 Height (in inches)2For example, the calculation for someone weighing 80 kg (176 lbs) and 1.60 m (63 in) tall is:BMI = 80 = 31.2orBMI = 176 x 700 = 31.11602 632People with a BMI of 25.1 to 29.9 are considered overweight, and people with a BMI of 30 orabove are considered obese. Thus, from the example above, a person weighing 80 kg and is1.60 m tall is obese. A high BMI assumes a higher percentage of body fat, which places aperson at greater risk for developing chronic diseases and other serious illnesses.BMIWeight Category 19 and underUnderweight 20-25Normal (Healthy) 26-29Overweight 30 and aboveObese Body weight categories according to BMIHowever, for some people, the BMI is not a reliable indication of health. A highly muscledindividual who is very fit and healthy may have a somewhat heavy body weight becausemuscles pack on a lot of pounds. This person may have a high BMI that improperly puts him orher in the overweight or obese categories. Likewise, thin individuals who have a low bodyweight with very little muscle and a higher percentage of fat may have a normal BMI, whichwould be an incorrect indication of healthiness.If you are overweight or obese according to the calculations shown here it is imperative thatyou undertake a weight loss and fitness program and start bringing that weight down.Remember that for every 10 pounds that you are over your ideal weight, the risks to your healthincrease and for every 10 pounds that you lose bringing you closer to your ideal weight, therisks to your health decrease.Title:Health Issues Concerning Asian WomenWord Count:435Summary:Did you know that Asian American women are at high risk for developing osteoporosis?Statistics actually show that Asian women in the United States have many of the same riskfactors as Caucasian women. If you are Asian American woman, it is important that youunderstand what osteoporosis is and the steps you should take to prevent or treat it.Keywords:asian women,bangladesh,BGMEA,The Bangladesh Garments Manufacturers ExportersAssociation

Article Body:Did you know that Asian American women are at high risk for developing osteoporosis?Statistics actually show that Asian women in the United States have many of the same riskfactors as Caucasian women. If you are Asian American woman, it is important that youunderstand what osteoporosis is and the steps you should take to prevent or treat it.Following are some of the issues that are causing a rise in the number of Asian women beingdiagnosed with osteoporosis:Asian women have been found to consume less calcium. This is mostly due to the fact that up to90% of Asian American women are lactose intolerant and avoid using dairy products thatcontain calcium. As you may know, calcium is essential for maintaining a healthy skeleton.Asian women generally have lower hip fracture rates than Caucasian women. Even so, Asianwomen seem to have as high a rate of incident of vertebrae fractures as Caucasian women.Additionally, slender women have less bone mass and are a greater risk for bone fracturesrelated to osteoporosis.Osteoporosis is a debilitating disease brought on by low bone mass. It causes bones to be抰vulnerable to fractures. If you don take steps to prevent osteoporosis, or you have it and don抰 get treatment, it can progress painlessly until a bone breaks which will most likely be in慼your hip, spine, or wrist. Spinal fractures are the reason why you see some older women withthat unched?appearance. Those fractures can also result in a loss of height, in addition tochronic pain.Some of the issues that could increase your chance of developing osteoporosis are:* Caucasian and Asian ancestry* Having a thin, small-boned body frame* Previous fractures or a family history of fractures resulting from osteoporosis* An estrogen deficiency resulting from:* early menopause due to natural circumstances* early menopause resulting from surgical removal of the ovaries* as a result of prolonged amenorrhea* Aging* A diet low in calcium* Smoking* Excessive alcohol consumption* Extensive use of certain medicationsEven if one or some of these conditions apply to you, you can still take steps to prevent it fromhappening to you. The best defense is to take care to keep you bones strong, especially beforethe age of 20. Eat a well-balanced diet rich in calcium and vitamin D and exercise抰regularly ?walking, jogging, dancing and lifting weights are a few of the better routines. Donsmoke and limit your intake of alcohol. Talk to your doctor, especially if you have a familyhistory of osteoporosis because there are painless testing methods and medications to treat it.

抰Title:Smoking and Surgery Don Mix, How to Quit for your HealthWord Count:736Summary:Are you a smoker who is scheduled to have surgery? No matter what kind of surgery you arehaving, your health will suffer if you decide to smoke for several weeks before and after yoursurgery. As difficult as it is, if you are going to have surgery, you should seriously considerquitting for your health.Keywords:smoking, quit smoking, surgery, stop smokingArticle Body:Are you a smoker who is scheduled to have surgery? No matter what kind of surgery you arehaving, your health will suffer if you decide to smoke for several weeks before and after yoursurgery. As difficult as it is, if you are going to have surgery, you should seriously considerquitting for your health.Smoking and Surgery: What Can Go WrongThere are a number of complications, risks, and potential infections that can develop as a resultof smoking pre- or post-surgery. What exactly can go wrong? Here's a run-down on themost common and serious complications that can arise as a result of smoking pre- orpost-surgery:Wound Infection. One of the most common complications that can occur if you smoke iswound infection. Smoking, in effect, steals oxygen from cells that are in the process ofhealing. Smoking is a risk factor for wound infection in almost any kind of surgery.Researchers have found that smokers continue smoking before surgery are at a much higher riskof developing wounds that do not heal properly.Cardiopulmonary complications. Tobacco smoke is very hard on the heart, lungs, and theentire immune system. If you are scheduled for any type of heart surgery, it is imperative thatyou quit smoking for at least six weeks before your surgery.Vasoconstriction. Vasoconstriction refers to the shrinking of the small blood vessels. Manyheavy smokers are apt to experience vasoconstriction because smoking steals available oxygenfrom cells. When this happens, the small blood vessels shrink and the amount of hemoglobinthat is needed to move oxygen from one part of the body to another. Smoking also interfereswith other chemicals that let the body release enough oxygen to the cells.Post-surgery complications are greater for smokers. Scientists at Bispebjerg UniversityHospital in Denmark found that patients who quit smoking before surgery were significantlyless likely to develop complications post-surgery. The researchers found that, on average,patients who quit smoking pre-surgery were kept in the hospital two days less than those whokept smoking before their surgery.

Remember, you should strive to come to surgery with a body that is at its healthiest. Thetrauma of surgery is hard on your body. Smoking will only make it harder for your body toheal. In some cases, surgeons may even elect not to treat a patient if they are smokers.Smoking Cessation for SurgeryIf you're a smoker, the best thing you can do for your body prepare for surgery is to quitaltogether, or at least reduce dramatically the number of cigarettes you smoke each day.Recent research suggests that smokers stop smoking at least six to eight weeks prior to surgery.Unfortunately, many of the smoking cessation products that would normally be available tosmokers are not recommended for those heading into surgery. Nicotine gum and nicotinepatches are not advised for surgery patients. The nicotine in the gum acts similarly as cigarettenicotine, interfering with the healing process in much the same manner. Nicotine patches arealso dangerous because the flow of nicotine can interfere with the flow of blood.Many hospitals and clinics offer smoking cessation clinics that help surgery patients stopsmoking before their scheduled surgery. Here are a few general guidelines on smokingcessation for surgery.Stop immediately. If you are scheduled for upcoming surgery, you don't have time to weanyourself off cigarettes. Most doctors advise that you stop smoking as soon as you are toldabout your surgery. For many people, the health scare is enough to throw the cigarettes out!Read up on your surgery. Take the time to learn about your surgery. This will help you stayfocused on your health, and the importance of keeping your body in good shape for the surgery.While you don't have to go into detail, become familiar with the procedure.Speak to your physician about smoking cessation aids you can use. Many times, surgerypatients are unable to use such smoking cessation aids as nicotine gum and the nicotine patch.Find out what options are available for your specific case.Quit together. Find someone to quit with you. Making the commitment to quit withsomeone else will help keep you focused on staying cigarette-free. Also, you should strive tomaintain a smoke-free household during your recovery. Some doctor's recommend that allhousehold smokers quit or dramatically reduce smoking during the patient's recovery period.