Weight is an essential parameter in ensuring the healthy functioning of the human body. Significant deviations from average weight can increase the risks of life-threatening illnesses. Usually, the weight index is estimated through the body mass index (BMI). BMI is a number that depicts people’s body fat considering the proportion of height and weight. The standard BMI is the health measurement parameter (Han et al., 2017). However, it is inaccurate because it does not address racial genetic peculiarities, fat distribution, and body changes. The risk of diseases for each BMI range is different: underweight, overweight, obese, and even normal weight directly correlate with cardiovascular disease occurrence.
The overweight and obese are the most dangerous factors influencing the associated cardiovascular illnesses. Such BMI conditions affect the amount of blood passing through the heart. As a result, the blood vessels are set at tremendous pressure causing hypertension and increased blood pressure. A high level of blood vessel pressure can cause heart function distortion and lead to cardiac failure, which is life-threatening in many cases (Han et al., 2017). The underweight also can cause cardiovascular illnesses due to the low lean body mass and the heart’s inability to function normally in lack of nutrition. Being underweight causes damage to cardiovascular and other body systems and increases the risks of chronic and lethal illnesses (Han et al., 2017). The average weight is less likely to develop cardiovascular diseases if other risk factors such as genetic predispositions and others are not concerned (Han et al., 2017). Thus, the different BMI rates correlate with cardiovascular illness risks.
The underweight is believed to be the most dangerous BMI rate, which can affect the whole body’s functioning, causing hazardous disease development. The overweight and obese are more often associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular diseases. Normal BMI rate is dangerous only considering the side factors of the individuals’ body functioning. However, the BMI rates are not accurate enough to estimate the general health state. The additional investigation of the body is required to explore the person’s health and possible illness risks.
Reference
Han, S., Lee, J., & Park, D. (2017). Underweight: another risk factor for cardiovascular disease? Medicine (Baltimore), 96(48), 1–7. Web.