New at our Web site [http://www.completepractitioner.com] is a 4-credit online continuing education course with exam, based on content from The Complete Practitioner: Mental Health Applications, our monthly, 8-page publication.

Course title: Treatment of Substance Abuse and Dependence (4 CE credits)

(At our Web site, click on "Continuing Education," and then click on "CE information.")

QUICK REFERENCE #45: How is body mass index (BMI) calculated? [UPDATED from QR Issue 1, #1]

There are several ways to calculate BMI:

BMI can be calculated using pounds and inches by performing the following three steps:

(1) multiply the person’s weight in pounds by 703
(2) divide the answer by the person’s height in inches
(3) divide that answer by the person’s height in inches

BMI can also be calculated by dividing the person’s weight in kilograms by the person’s height squared in meters.

An online BMI calculator and a BMI table are available at the Web site of the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) [http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/guidelines/obesity/ob_home.htm]. The BMI calculator accepts entries in either pounds--inches or kilograms--centimeters. A BMI table is also printed in the March 2007 issue of The Complete Practitioner.

BMI categories are as follows:

below 18.5 indicates underweight
18.5 to 24.9 indicates normal weight
25 to 29.9 indicates overweight
30 to 39.9 indicates obesity
40 or above indicates extreme obesity.

SOURCE: The Complete Practitioner: Mental Health Applications (March 2007), adapted from: Aim for a Healthy Weight Education Kit. The Kit was co-developed by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) and the North American Association for the Study of Obesity. An online version of the KIT is available for free at http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/public/heart/obesity/lose_wt.

Note to The Complete Practitioner paid subscribers: You can access related content by clicking on in the Subscribers' Area of our Web site
[http://www.completepractitioner.com] and clicking on the Assessment selections from December 2003, September 2004, and March 2007.

QUICK REFERENCE #46: What are some limitations of body mass index (BMI)?

BMI is a reliable indicator of total body fat, which is related to the risk of disease and death. The score is valid for both men and women, but it does have the following limitations:

• It may overestimate body fat in athletes and others who have a muscular build.
• It may underestimate body fat in older persons and others who have lost muscle mass.

SOURCE: The Complete Practitioner: Mental Health Applications (March 2007), adapted from: Aim for a Healthy Weight Education Kit. The Kit was co-developed by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) and the North American Association for the Study of Obesity. An online version of the KIT is available for free at http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/public/heart/obesity/lose_wt.

Note to The Complete Practitioner paid subscribers: You can access related content by clicking on in the Subscribers' Area of our Web site
[http://www.completepractitioner.com] and clicking on the Assessment selections from December 2003, September 2004, and March 2007.

IMPORTANT: Inclusion of content in this e-letter is for educational purposes only and does not indicate endorsement of any claims or recommendations made or implied by that content or by the content of any Web sites that are noted in or linked to this e-letter.