Still in the spirit of celebrating the World Family Doctors Week, I was invited by YAF to do what I do best as a Health Educator. Of course, I briefly danced around the subject of DEPRESSION. We went further to discuss about many pleasant things via an interactive session which employed a question and answer format.
Topmost in our discussion was ‘index of nourishment’. To be well nourished does not mean being fat or chubby; it simply means getting the right nutrients in the right proportion into the body. To be MALNOURISHED is simply the opposite. Whether rich or poor, many Nigerians are malnourished. Being malnourished does not only mean kwashiorkor and the likes; it simply means wrong nourishment. Obesity is a type of malnourishment too.
In adults, the index for measuring obesity is the ‘Body Mass Index’ which is called BMI for short.
It is calculated by fixing up your weight in kilograms and your height in metres using a simple formula:
Weight (kg) /Height (m) x Height (m)
I weigh 60 kg and I am 1.70m tall.
My BMI is 60/1.7 x 1.7
60/2.89=20.76.
My BMI = 20.76
So Doctor Dileem’s BMI is within the normal range which is 18-24
While some present were confident and happy about their BMI, others were not. This is not to undermine anyone, but to tell you that your BMI control is actually in your hands and that you can do something about it.
Now, if you are above or below the normal range, something needs to be done; consult your family physician!
** It is possible to fall into the normal BMI range even when one is not properly nourished.
Obesity happens to be a rising epidemic in Nigeria and it is a predisposing factor to many preventable diseases and deaths. I will be sharing something on pot bellies pretty soon, do keep tabs!
I love you and I love your health.
Your favourite family physician,
Doctor Dileem