SOMO LA AFYA BORA NA. 1

Kutoka kwa Dr. Wilbert Bunini Manyilizu wa Chuo Kikuu, Mzumbe, Tanzania.
Jumapili, Januari 11, 2009

Dear all,

Happy new year. This is to share the good news as we enter the new year. The department of Health will be regularly sending you a short piece of health message to share for those would prefer going through for their/his/her/our health improvement. The articles will follow serially as a continuation of the last article, then a next issue comes in. The questions for sharing if any will receive reaction once per week preferably on Monday (To be answered on weekends). Any burning issues/interesting for discussion may be initiated/asked from the forum members.

The articles are expected to be extremely simplified (Medicine made simple), short at most two pages for busy readers. The Kiswahili language will be used for better understanding, but free for English speakers to come in the way they like.

Article 1=Body Mass Index=Uzito Unaopaswa kuwa nao wewe Msomaji kulingana na Urefu wako kwa Afya Bora.

Usiwe na shaka, katika makala zitakazofuata tutajua tatizo huanzia wapi kama vile kuwa uzito pungufu usiotakiwa. Zaidi ya hapo makala zingine zitaonesha njia za kufanya ili msomaji achague mbinu anayoweza kutumia kurekebisha tatizo kama lipo. Kama Hakuna tatizo, basi ni vyema kujihadhali na kuwasaidia wengine wasiingie kwenye tatizo la Uzito usiofaa kwa urefu wao.

Uzito mdogo kuliko kawaida una matatizo, lakini Uzito mkubwa kuliko kawaida kwa urefu wako una matatizo kiafya zaidi. Jifunze zaidi kwa makala ya Kwanza :

Jinsi ya kujua kama una uzito salama

Kuna kipimo cha kitaalamu kinachoweza kumsaidia msomaji kujua kama uzito wake ni salama au kama ameshaanza kuharibikiwa ili achukue hatua kabla maradhi hayajaingia. Kipimo hiki huitwa BMI (Body Mass Index) ambacho si kifaa bali ni jibu la hesabu rahisi. BMI hutoa makadirio ya kiasi cha mafuta yaliyoko mwilini kwa mtu kwa kutumia urefu (mita) na uzito (kilo) wa mhusika. Kwa kutumia vipimo vya kisasa vya metriki kanuni yake ni

BMI=Uzito (kilo) gawanya Kimo (mita) x Kimo (mita) au

BMI=U/K² U=Uzito; K= Kimo; K² =Kimo x Kimo

Kwa mfano, msomaji ana uzito wa kilo 60 na urefu wa mita 1.5 BMI hesabu yake itakuwa 60/1.5x1.5=16.67 mtu huyu ana uzito pungufu angalia jedwali hapo chini.

Msomaji ajichunguze kufuatia jibu atakalopata kutoka kwenye jedwali hapa kama yuko kundi la hatari au la salama na kuamua afanye nini kubaki na afya njema.

Mgawanyo wa majibu ya BMI :

• Uzito pungufu kama jibu liko chini ya 18.5
• Uzito wa kawaida kama jibu liko kati ya 18.5 na 24.9
• Uzito umezidi kama jibu liko kati ya 25-29.9
• Kitambi kama BMI ni 30 au zaidi

BMI hii haiwahusishi wafanya mazoezi ya nguvu kama wabeba vyuma kwani kinaweza kuonekana kiwango kikubwa cha mafuta jibu lisilo la kweli. Pia wazee ambao wamepoteza misuli yao kipimo hiki huonesha hawana mafuta.

Kuna njia nyingine pia ya kujichunguza kuona kama uzito uliozidi unamhatarisha mtu kupata magonjwa yanayoambatana na kitambi.