Body Mass Index BMI

Obesity has many adverse health effects and is associated with various diseases, especially heart disease and type 2 diabetes. Body mass index (BMI, kg/m2) can be used to define whether a person has normal weight or whether he/she is overweight or obese.

The categories are

  • <25 kg/m2 normal weight
  • 25 30 kg/m2 overweight
  • >30 kg/m2 obese.
  • The mean body mass index has slightly increased in North Karelia, Finland since the beginning of the 1980’s. In Pitkäranta in the Republic of Karelia the mean body mass index has been stable since the year 1992.
  • In Pitkäranta, women are more prone to overweight or obesity than men.

Mean body mass index (BMI) in North Karelia, Finland, 1982–2007

 

Figure 1. Mean body mass index (BMI) in North Karelia, Finland, 1982–2007

Mean body mass index (BMI) in Pitkäranta, the Republic of Karelia, 1992–2002

 

Figure 2. Mean body mass index (BMI) in Pitkäranta, the Republic of Karelia, 1992–2002

More information about body mass index in Russian and Finnish Karelia can be found in a series of pictures

Pictures (pdf 345 KB).