By Julie Reade
It seems like every time you turn on the news or open up a newspaper, something is being said about weight. Tabloid magazines are covered with promises of weight loss through a certain diet. There's low carb, no carb, and specific food diets. And there diet pills that promise weight loss without "tiring, strenuous exercise." New

writers often accuse stars of being either too fat or too thin. So what is the standard? Is there one? Or is everyone so different that there is no standard?

Analyzing body fat isn't done by analyzing pure weight on its own. Hopping on a scale can give you one piece of information. But it doesn't tell the full story. Someone taller will inevitably weigh more than someone shorter. Someone with a smaller frame can weigh less and not be considered "too thin" simply because of their body make-up. The standard is called the body mass index or BMI for short. This takes into account both height and weight and gives a number that falls within a category. The categories are underweight, healthy, overweight and obese. Each category is a span of numbers. It's important to remember that this is an estimate of body fat. Only the caliper test can truly determine body fat percentage.

For instance, someone who is 5 foot 2 inches and weighs 120 pounds will have a BMI of 22. This falls in the healthy BMI range of 18.5 to 24.9. However, someone who is 6 foot 2 inches and weighs 120 pounds will have a underweight BMI score of 15.4. It's not just about weight. It's about weight is relation to the height of the individual.

BMI, however, says nothing about body proportion or how we feel about our bodies. It is quite possible to be within the healthy range and still have a stomach that sticks out further than you'd like. Or you can fall into the healthy category and be soft, with little muscle tissue. There are many factors to consider. Even more potent than a scale is comparison. We often compare ourselves to people we consider our peers.

Finding your BMI is just one piece of the overall health puzzle. Once you know that you can make some decisions about your food choices and fitness goals. Perhaps you'll decide to continue the course you are on. Or perhaps you'll want to make some adjustments and move forward. Either way, knowing your BMI can help with this challenging issue.