What’s the weight management score?
For people living with diabetes, it’s important to have a weight management strategy that will help you reach and maintain a healthy weight. Being overweight increases your risk of chronic diseases, including Type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure and heart disease.
One way to determine if you’re at a healthy weight is to calculate your Body Mass Index, or BMI.
What is your BMI? It’s a way to measure your weight against your height. While it’s not a perfect measure of health risk, it’s a great place to start. All you need to know is your height and weight!
Use this USDA BMI calculator to determine your BMI. It will only take a moment.
BMI SCORE
Below 18.5 — Underweight
18.6-24.9 — Normal
25.0-29.9 — Overweight
30+ — Obese
Now that you know your BMI score, you can plan your strategy to reach or maintain a weight that’s healthy for you. Even moderate weight loss—just a pound or two per week—can have valuable health benefits, including improved insulin resistance (for Type 2), improved blood glucose and blood lipid levels and reduced blood pressure.
Exercise, calorie control, a healthy diet and portion control should all play a role in your weight management strategy. Because exercise affects blood glucose levels and meal plans, check with your doctor, registered dietitian or diabetes educator before beginning any new exercise regimen.
Check back here regularly for more information about responsible nutrition and living with diabetes.
