Body Mass Index

Medical News Today, 2017

Do you ever leave the doctor’s office with more questions than answers?  Or maybe you are familiar with a term or measurement the doctor used but need a refresher on what exactly it means or why it is important.  Over the next few weeks we will discuss common assessments and terms that might help you at your next visit.  A few topics I will touch on include waist circumference, cholesterol types and levels, and blood sugar.  Our first discussion will look at BMI.   

Doctors use a variety of tools to make health assessments; because of its popularity, you may be familiar with body mass index or BMI.  Developed in the mid-1800s, BMI is a simple way of assessing the general health of a person with an average fitness level.  BMI was originally developed as a tool to evaluate overall populations, rather than an individual assessment, but because of its ease of use, it has become a popular tool in an initial medical evaluation.  

Mathematically, BMI is your body mass divided by your body height squared.  Since this is generally calculated in in the metric system, those of us used to pounds and inches also need to multiply the above result by 703. BMI is helpful to doctors because it categorizes patients into four categories (in the US): Underweight = <18.5, Normal weight = 18.5-24.9, Overweight = 25-29.9, and Obese = >30 (NIH, 2005).  For example, if you weight 160 and you are 5’5” you would divide 160 (weight) by 4225 (height in inches times itself, 65x65) and then multiply that by 703 which equals 26.6.  Your BMI is 26.6 and puts you in the overweight category.  

For some, BMI is known to provide a slightly skewed assessment.  If you are an athlete or have a high muscle to fat ratio, your BMI will be higher than someone of a similar shape and size due to muscle weighing more than fat.  It is always important to remember that people come in all shapes and sizes and one assessment can only give a general idea of health. 

In general, BMI is a useful tool. Even if you are not in the normal weight range, you can use the number to compare where you are to where you should be for health purposes.  If you have questions regarding your BMI, talk to your doctor.  Before beginning any exercise program or changing your physical activity patterns, you should always consult your doctor.  

As always, if you have questions, concerns, or just want to chat, please feel free to come by the Hunt County Texas A&M AgriLife Extension, 2217 Washington Street, Greenville, Texas, 75401, call (903) 455-9885, or email Sarah.Latham@ag.tamu.edu. 

References:

Medical News Today. (2017). http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/info/obesity/what-is-bmi.php
National Institutes of Health (NIH). (2005). National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. Aim for a Healthy Weight.  Publication No. 05-5213.

Hunt County 4-H and Youth Programs

Even after nearly two years in this job, I am still amazed at how much of our work day is dedicated to our youth programs.  If you are have not heard of 4-H then you've probably been under a rock for the past hundred years.  Texas 4-H has more than 550,000 members across the state and has been in existence since 1908.

As the Hunt County Fair comes to an end I think about all of the youth that entered and all of the time and energy they spent perfecting their project.  Whether it be a heifer or goat, a photograph or baked good, our county youth are actively engaged.  

Hunt County has various 4-H clubs throughout the county and we are always recruiting new members.  4-H offers an amazing number of different projects; please visit Texas 4-H to learn more.  If you or someone you know is interested in joining 4-H, please contact the Hunt County Texas A&M AgriLife Extension office, hunt4H@ag.tamu.edu or (903) 455-9885.

In addition to our daily 4-H tasks, we are try to help educate all county youth on agriculture.  Each May our office hosts Science of Agriculture Day at the Hunt County Fairgrounds for every fourth grader in the county.  On average, we welcome 1000 fourth grade students and 60 teachers from around Hunt County.  Science of Agriculture Day is a research-tested educational program designed to communicate the importance of agriculture and natural resources.  Students will visit nine hands-on learning stations, including Beef, Grain, Water Enviroscape, Wildlife, Electricity, Healthy Lifestyles, Bees and Pollination, Farm Animals, and 4-H Projects.  Pre- and post-test evaluations show a significant increase in agricultural understanding and knowledge following the event.

We look forward to this event each year.  It is always fun to see their eyes light up when they see the electricity demonstration or how excited they become when they learn all of the different ways animals are used.  If you are interested in volunteering or making a donation, please contact our office.  We have hosted this event for 10 years and owe a large part of the success to the people that help through volunteering or by making a donation. 

As always, if you have questions, concerns, or just want to chat, please feel free to come by the Hunt County AgriLife Extension office, 2217 Washington Street, Greenville, Texas, 75401, call (903) 455-9885, or email Sarah.Latham@ag.tamu.edu.  

4-H Pledge:
"I pledge my head to clearer thinking, my heart to greater loyalty, my hands to larger service, my health to better living, for my club, my community, my country, and my world."

 

Technology Talks #2

The first go-round of Technology Talks went really well.  In fact, it went so well that I will be offering a second session in March. If you wanted to try the first session, but were unable to make it, I would love for you to join us.  The class will start over by discussing the basics of smart device usage (texting, emailing, navigation, etc.) and apps.  We will meet at the Hunt County Extension office, 2217 Washington Street in downtown Greenville from 2:00 to 3:00 on March 1st, 8th, 22nd and 29th.  Again, this series is geared toward individuals who are new to smart devices and/or need assistance understanding and using their device.  Set-up as four, one-hour sessions, we will cover introductory basics, Internet and email use, popular apps, social media, and online safety.  Attendees will need to bring their own Wi-Fi capable device (smart phone or tablet).  This is a welcoming and fun learning environment where no question is too basic.  This series is free of charge and everyone is welcome to come and learn. Sessions will focus on specific (but flexible) topics, independent of each other.  

The first session is still in progress and we are now discussing specific apps.  If you have a basic understanding of your device but would like to learn more about Pinterest, Map My Walk, or My Fitness Pal, please join me January 11th, 18th, and 25th at the Hunt County Extension office at 1:30.  We will be discussing a specific app each of those days.  Smart devices can be extremely helpful when working to improve your health.  Our January sessions will focus on apps that you can use on your health journey. 

One thing I found out from the first session was most people have never taken the time to play around on their device so they end up never comfortable with it.  If you are interested in the series but not available at the scheduled time, please email or call me.  I truly enjoyed working with the individuals in the first session and I want to make the series available to everyone. 

As always, if you have questions, concerns, or just want to chat, please feel free to come by the Hunt County AgriLife Extension office, 2217 Washington Street, Greenville, Texas, 75401, call (903) 455-9885, or email Sarah.Latham@ag.tamu.edu.  

Technology Talks

A 2015 Pew Research Poll found 68% of Americans own a smartphone (a 33% increase from 2011) and 45% own a tablet.  How many of you feel left behind in technology or are uncomfortable using your own device?  As quickly as technology changes, we all feel that way sometimes.  Getting your first laptop or smart device can be overwhelming and there is a learning curve.  It takes time to play around and get a feel for any new product.  Often times, we do not want to mess something up or do something that we are not able to fix.  If this is you, we are here to help!  Hunt County AgriLife Extension is hosting an introductory series on understanding technology, specifically Internet, email, and smart device apps.

This series will be geared toward individuals who are new to smart devices (or laptops/computers) and need assistance understanding and using their devices.  Set-up as four, one-hour sessions, we will cover introductory basics, Internet and email use, popular apps, social media, and online safety.  Sessions will be held each Wednesday in December from 1:30 – 2:30 pm at the Fletcher Warren Civic Center in Greenville, TX.  Attendees will need to bring their own Wi-Fi capable device (laptop, smart phone, or tablet).  The first session will be Wednesday, December 7th.  This will be a welcoming and fun learning environment where no question is too basic.  This series is free of charge and everyone is welcome to come and learn. Sessions will focus on specific (but flexible) topics, independent of each other.  

As always, if you have questions, concerns, or just want to chat, please feel free to come by the Hunt County AgriLife Extension office, 2217 Washington Street, Greenville, Texas, 75401, call (903) 455-9885, or email Sarah.Latham@ag.tamu.edu.  Follow my blog by visiting http://agentsarah.blogspot.com/.