More than one-fourth of American adults are obese. Obesity has been linked to many illnesses: heart disease, diabetes, cancer, lung problems--as well as many psychological and emotional problems.

The American Journal of Public Health reports that 4 percent of our US health care dollars are spent treating obesity. Obesity can be defined in various terms. One method indicates that 20 to 40 percent over the ideal body weight is obese. More commonly, though, the BMI (body mass index) is the indicator used to identify obesity. A person with a BMI of 17 to 24 is considered healthy and fit. However, a person with a BMI greater than 29 is considered obese.

So what is your BMI? Your BMI is determined by calculating your weight in kilograms divided by your height in meters. This number is then squared. For example, a woman weighing 180 lbs. (80.1 kg) and who is 5'6" tall (64 m) would have a BMI of 30. Ask your health care professional for more information on obesity. Take good care of yourself--you're worth it.

One of the accepted approaches to weight assessment is a technique developed by the National Center for Health Statistics called body mass index (BMI). To find your BMI, follow these steps:

Step 1. Divide your weight in pounds (without shoes or clothing) by 2.2. This will give you your weight in kilograms. Answer to Step 1 is ___________.

Step 2. Divide your height in inches (without shoes) by 39.4 and then square the result. This will convert your height to meters squared. Answer to Step 2 is ___________.

Step 3. Divide your weight in kilograms by your height in meters squared (answer to Step 1 divided by answer to Step 2). This is your BMI.

In general, a BMI range of 20 to 24 is considered normal. The desirable range for females is 21 to 23; for males, it is 22 to 24. BMI values above 27.8 for men and 27.3 for women have been associated with increased health problems, including high blood pressure and diabetes. The American Dietetic Association has classified people having BMIs greater than 30 as obese and those having BMIs greater than 40 as morbidly obese and in need of prompt medical attention.