Manage Your Blood Pressure: The Weight-ing Game

By:   Reader's Digest

Know your numbers--maintaining a healthy BMI will help you avoid high blood pressure.

A few years ago, Americans got an unpleasant jolt when the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute issued new guidelines that lowered what's considered a healthy weight. Overnight, millions more Americans found themselves in the "overweight" category--and at risk for a host of medical problems, including high blood pressure.  

The new federal guidelines (which are more in line with guidelines in other countries) use a formula known as the Body Mass Index (BMI) to determine whether or not a person is packing too many pounds. The BMI gives a much more accurate measure of body fat than simply standing on a bathroom scale--the standard, but now outdated, one-step method used for many years. The BMI does have some limitations, however. It tends, for example, to overestimate body fat in people who are very muscular and to underestimate body fat in people (especially the elderly) who have lost muscle mass.  

Still, the BMI is a great tool for judging whether or not you're overweight. If you don't know your BMI, now's the time to find yours on the chart below. 

Your fat-finding mission. Besides knowing your BMI, you also need to figure out where you're carrying most of your fat. Some people gain weight primarily in their hips and thighs, which gives them a "pear-shaped" figure. Others tend to carry extra pounds mostly around their waist, giving them an "apple-shaped" figure.   Research has shown that being a "pear" is better for your long-term health than being an "apple." Here's one big reason: People who accumulate fat around their waists--the "apples"--are more likely to develop high blood pressure. Scientists aren't exactly sure why "apples" tend to have higher BP, but it seems that abdominal fat is more likely to break down and gather in the arteries, where it can cause the kind of damage that leads to high blood pressure. 

Problem is, you can't change your body type--it's something you've inherited, like the color of your eyes or the shape of your nose. You are an "apple" or "pear" for life. So if you are an "apple," you should take extra steps to make sure you maintain your BMI at a healthy level (under 25). Watch what you eat and exercise regularly.

And what if you’re a "pear"? Well, don't think your body shape gives you free rein to gobble down french fries or doughnuts regularly. You still need to maintain a BMI of 25 or below to avoid high blood pressure and the other health problems that come with being overweight. 

The ABC’s of the BMI

The Body Mass Index (BMI) is a calculation, not a direct measurement. It is figured by dividing a person’s weight by the square of his or her height. Think of  the BMI as a comparison of how much weight you’re carrying per inch of height.