Real-Life Math
You are a physician assistant working in a family practice. You examine
patients and do routine consultations with the doctor's patients.
You
and the doctor have noticed a disturbing trend amongst your patients. It appears
that a growing number of people are becoming obese.
Because you and
the doctor agree that obesity can lead to health problems such as diabetes
and heart conditions, you want to assist your patients in maintaining a better
lifestyle. This includes eating better and exercising.
However, to first
determine if a patient is overweight, you use the BMI or body mass index.
If the patient's BMI is 25 to 29.9, the patient is overweight. If the
BMI is more than 30, the patient is obese.
You use this number as a
guideline because well-muscled people may score higher on the test. The BMI
can't be used for children, adolescents or pregnant and breastfeeding
women.
A patient named Sarah is in your office. She agrees that she
should be concerned about her steadily expanding waistline. You begin to tell
her about how to maintain a healthy lifestyle and also calculate her BMI.
Here is the formula:
BMI = weight in kilograms / (height in meters)2
Sarah's
weight: 155 pounds
Sarah's height: 61 inches
What is Sarah's
BMI? Is she healthy, overweight or obese?
Remember:
1 pound = 0.45
kilograms
1 inch = 2.54 centimeters