Human weight

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Weight, in the context of human body weight measurements in the medical sciences and in sports is a measurement of mass, and is thus expressed in units of mass, such as kilograms (kg), or units of force such as pounds (lb). In Britain and Ireland, the unit stone (equivalent to 14 lb or 6.35 kg) is commonly used as well.

A quantity called body mass index (BMI) is often used to express weight relative to height. This is determined by dividing the weight of a person in kilograms by the square of the height in meters.

[edit] Health issues involving human weight

• normal and abnormal growth and development
• the physiological and hormonal control of ingestion and digestion
• appetite, hunger and other motivations to eat
• problems in regulating body weight, often resulting in obesity
• eating disorders such as anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa
• effects of disease, often resulting in cachexia

[edit] References

[edit] See also

• Anthropometry
• Birth weight
• Body mass index
• Human height
• Obesity