| |
Newsroom >
Health and Fitness
>
Health and Fitness
>
Dr. Korman of LA Bariatric Center States that BMI is Not the Only Method of Measuring Body Fat
Dr. Korman of LA Bariatric Center States that BMI is Not the Only Method of Measuring Body Fat
California surgeon, Dr. Jeremy Korman, recognizes that BMI may not always be the optimal way to measure body fat distribution and health risk indicators.
Marina Del Rey,
CA,
United States of America
(sardnews.org)
21/06/2013
The most common method of measuring fat on the body is the body mass index, or BMI. This popular formula focuses on weight and height, and is used by countless doctors, patients, and others to determine whether someone is overweight and what his or her future health risks might be. Some professionals, like Dr. Jeremy Korman or LA Bariatric Center, have acknowledged that while BMI can be helpful, there are other methods of measuring body fat that may provide more accuracy.
BMI focuses on a person's weight and height, leaving some experts to believe that it is not always an accurate measure of life expectancy. BMI, for example, does not account for muscle mass, so people may be labeled as overweight when they are in fact just muscular. In addition, BMI fails to address where fat is distributed on the body - ignoring the belief that fat is most dangerous at the center of the body. Dr. Korman also offers that BMI was not initially created for individual use, but rather use at the population level.
While Dr. Korman admits that BMI is advantageous in its simplicity, he also suggests using something called the waist-height ratio to measure the risk for health problems. This system states that if a patient is under the age of 40, the circumference of their waist should be under half of their height in inches.
If weight seems to be impairing your health in any way, Dr. Korman encourages testing in a professional setting. One of the most direct ways to measure body fat is with calipers, where "pincers" are used to measure the folds of your skin to show how much fat has accumulated in various parts of the body. Another method is electrodes, which measure the body's resistance to a gentle electrical current. Other specialized tests also exist, and usually require professional equipment; these are more expensive, but provide the most accurate measurements of body fat. All of these methods should involve the help of trained professionals in order to gauge an accurate reading and to avoid complications.
If you are concerned about what your weight may mean for your future health, measuring your BMI may not be the best determinant. For those with serious concerns, it is best to contact an experienced physician, who can help test for future health risks or explain how to measure the distribution of fat on the body and what that means for you. Dr. Korman of L.A. Bariatrics is a board certified general surgeon who may be able to help. Contact his office today to learn more about measuring weight to indicate future health risks and to discover what treatments may be right for you.
Dr. Korman practices at L.A. Bariatrics in Marina Del Rey, California. Interested parties are encouraged to find out more at www.labariatriccenter.com
About Dr. Korman
Dr. Jeremy Korman is a board certified general surgeon who specializes in today's top bariatric procedures, including laparoscopic gastric bypass, adjustable gastric banding, sleeve gastrectomy and gastric imbrications.
Dr. Korman earned his medical degree from Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York and completed his general surgery residency at Long Island Jewish Medical Center. Fellowship trained in laparoscopic general surgery at Cedars Sinai Medical Center, he also completed an additional fellowship in bariatric surgery.
Dr. Korman is a member of the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery, American College of Surgeons, and Society of American Gastrointestinal Endoscopic Surgeons.
For more details visit: http://www.labariatriccenter.com/
###
About La Bariatric Centre
Dr. Korman is a leading weight loss surgeon who has performed over 1000 weight loss procedures, including gastric bypass, gastric banding, sleeve gastrectomy, ROSE procedure, and band over bypass. He leads a dedicated and enthusiastic team using his multi-disciplinary team approach.
|