Weighing Your Risks

Before you get started with a weight management plan, you may want to evaluate your current weight and health risks. You can do this by assessing your Body Mass Index, or BMI. Your BMI is a measure of your weight compared to your height, and it has been shown to be a reliable predictor of health risks. You can use the online body mass index (BMI) calculator or print the following handout:

• English: Body Mass Index & Your Lifestyle for Adults*
• Spanish: Índice de Masa Corporal y el estilo de vida en los adultos*

Understanding Your Results

In general, the higher your BMI, the more health risks you may have. A BMI above 25 indicates that you can be at increased risk for many health complications, including coronary artery disease, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, arthritis, and some types of cancer. If your BMI is over 30 your risk is increased.

Some people with a high BMI develop "pre-diabetes," or elevated blood glucose. While this is not the same as diabetes, it can lead to diabetes if not prevented. For more information, read the following:

• English: Pre-Diabetes: How You Can Prevent Type 2 Diabetes*
• Spanish: Prediabetes: Preguntas frecuentes*

Once you understand your BMI, you can better adjust your lifestyle to lose weight and decrease your risks.

Prevention Guidelines for Adults*
Take a look at a few other ways you can live healthier, based on your age range.
Smoking - Call It Quits!
Quitting smoking can reduce your risk for pre-diabetes, coronary artery disease, cancer, and other diseases.

* Please note: If you are unable to view these documents, you will need to install Adobe Acrobat Reader.

Disclaimer
If you think you have a MEDICAL OR PSYCHIATRIC EMERGENCY, CALL 911 IMMEDIATELY or go to the nearest hospital. DO NOT attempt to access emergency care through this web site. An emergency medical condition is a medical or psychiatric condition that manifests itself by acute symptoms of sufficient severity (including severe pain) such that you could reasonably expect the absence of immediate medical attention to result in any of the following: serious jeopardy to your health, serious impairment to your bodily functions, or serious dysfunction of any bodily organ or part. An emergency medical condition is also "active labor," which means a labor when there is inadequate time for safe transfer to a Plan hospital (or designated hospital) before delivery or if a transfer poses a threat to the health of the member or unborn child.

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