The Medical Minute: Why taking control of your BMI is a healthy choice

The most common way to find out whether you're overweight or obese is to calculate your body mass index, or BMI. BMI is an estimate of body fat, and it's a good gauge of your risk for obesity-related diseases. The higher your BMI, the higher your risk of developing health problems such as coronary heart disease, heart attack, blocked arteries, stroke, high blood pressure, Type 2 diabetes and certain cancers.

There are many factors that determine your BMI, weight and body fat – including genetics and family history, environmental factors and daily lifestyle choices. While factors like family history cannot be changed, there are many simple ways to bring healthy choices to life in order to reduce your risk for health problems and disease.

Learn more about BMI in this video produced by Penn State Hershey PRO Wellness Center.

Also, the PRO Wellness Center has developed and tested a new BMI screening letter for schools. Learn more here.

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