Body Composition Assignment
Tess is a 21-year-old college student who is 5’4” tall and weighs 180 pounds. She has a typical pear shape with a waist circumference of 34”.
Bob is a 19-year-old college student who is 5’10” and also weighs 180 pounds. Bob has the typical apple shape with a waist circumference of 41”.
BMI
BMI Classification Risk with waist circumference
Tess
30.8
Obesity, Class I
Increased
Bob
25.8
Overweight
High
How might BMI information be useful to individuals?
BMI is a screening tool which helps to determine whether the weight of a person is normal or high, which puts the person under a greater risk of such diseases as metabolic syndrome, diabetes, atherosclerosis and hypertension, etc. Early detection and proper control over weight prevent development of the abovementioned conditions.
Is BMI information alone enough for individuals to determine their health risks? Why?
Although BMI is a very useful and easy measure of relative weight, however, it doesn’t differentiate between fat and muscles weight, neither takes into account the distribution of the adipose tissue (Peter Janiszewski), therefore it might not be used as a single measure in determining health risks.
Why might BMI inappropriately characterize some athletes as overweight? Most athletes have high muscle weight and as a sequence a high BMI, therefore there results are misinterpreted as overweight.
For overweight but not obese individuals with a pear shape/low waist circumference, is weight loss necessary for good health? Why or why not?
The distribution of the body weight is a key predictor of the health risk (Peter Janiszewski). People who have pear shape/low waist circumference are at a lower risk of disease development. They might be advised to lose weight; however, if they live a normal active life, it is not obligatory.
Is it possible to be too thin? Why or why not?
The BMI below 18.5 can also be a health concern. It could be a sign of malnutrition or cachexia.
What is visceral fat and why is it considered dangerous?
Visceral fat is the intra-abdominal fat that accumulates around such important digestive organs as intestine, liver, and pancreas. It is the type of fat that is closely associated with high risk of type 2 diabetes, heart diseases, hormonal dysfunction.
What is leptin and where is it produced?
Leptin is a peptide hormone produced by adipose cells and giving a signal to the brain about saturation.
How does leptin influence body weight and composition?
Acting on the receptors in hypothalamus leptin inhibits hunger. In case of resistance to the leptin people can have uncontrolled hunger.
Works Cited
Peter Janiszewski. Why the Body Mass Index (BMI) is a Poor Measure of Your Health. Blogs.plos.org. Web. 10 Feb. …
