Do you know your BMI?

What’s your B-M-I? That stands for Body Mass Index and it’s something Iowans are being encouraged to learn, and in many cases, lower. One health professional says just like blood pressure and cholesterol levels, the B-M-I is a number everyone should know.Dr. Gregory Peterson is medical director of the Iowa Diabetes Center in Des Moines and is a specialist on weight issues. He says the B-M-I is used to describe a scientific approach to obesity.A higher B-M-I can be an indicator of health risks such as diabetes, cancer and heart disease. The B-M-I is a two-digit number derived through a table of simple calculations based on a person’s height and weight.Dr. Peterson says having a B-M-I over 30 could mean the person has a higher risk of death. He says people can get a B-M-I chart free from most pharmacies or by logging on to “www.knowyourbmi.com” for the quick calculation.