Body Mass Index (BMI) has been used for decades to determine obesity. A BMI is calculated by dividing your weight in kilograms by the square of your height in meters. A BMI score between 18-24.9 is considered a normal BMI. A score between 25-29.9 is considered overweight, while a BMI greater than 30 would indicate obesity.

Findings on heart disease suggest for every point of BMI over normal, heart failure risk goes up. For every unit increase in BMI there is a 5% increase in risk of heart failure. In general, the association between BMI and heart disease suggests that by the time a person becomes obese, that increase is 200% - double the heart failure rate risk of a person of normal BMI!

Just 30 lbs. of excess weight can decrease your life expectancy by 4 years.

But, wait. Is BMI the end-all be-all? BMI is a quick estimate of obesity based on weight compared to height. It does not take into account other health conditions, muscle mass, or how the weight is distributed. A DEXA scan can directly measure body fat, but availability and expense can be a barrier. Inexpensive alternate options include using waist circumference, waist-to-hip ratio, or waist-to-height ratio. Newer thought focuses on the fat carried around the waist and its effects on inflammation throughout the body.

A healthy waist circumference for men is considered 40 inches, and for women, 35 inches, per Health Canada. Aim for a waist:hip ratio of less than 0.95 in men, and less than 0.8 in women. Waist-to-height ratio may provide a more universal screening tool when it comes to obesity, with 0.5 being the cut off for both men and women.