Be Healthy

Body mass index (BMI) is one way to determine whether you are in a healthy weight range for your height and is used to measure health-related risks.

BMI is calculated using your weight divided by your height squared. Along with several other factors, like your blood pressure and cholesterol, BMI can help estimate your risk of a heart attack or stroke.

BMI has several limitations and may not be the most reliable measure of your healthy weight and is not a good overall indicator of health as it does not take into account your age, gender, and your body's composition of fat, muscle and bone. Your GP and an Accredited Practising Dietitian can help you to achieve and maintain a healthy weight.

For the following groups of people, BMI is not an accurate measure:

• People from different cultural backgrounds such as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Peoples, and people of Asian and South Asian descent.

• People who are pregnant.

• People 19 years of age or younger.

• Athletes or people who have a lot of muscle.

• People with a condition that affects the amount of fluid in their body (for example, heart failure).

Find out your BMI by using the Heart Foundation's BMI Calculator and learn more.

Health and Wellbeing Queensland along with government departments, research institutes, health organisations and many other groups have brought together a whole range of services, programs, activities, resources and challenges that Queenslanders can use to boost their daily activity, healthy eating and wellbeing.

For more information, and to search for healthy tips and recipes, visit the Boost Your Healthy website.

What does a balanced lunchbox look like?

Pack the core 4 + 1:

1. main lunch

2. snack

3. piece of fruit

4. water (and additional small milk or juice for variety)...

+1 extra snack for active kids!

Find you’re eating a lot more during the day and perhaps not moving as much? Live Life Get Active (LLGA) have 8 simple eating habits to help you curb excess snacking!

Read 8 Simple Eating Habits to Help Curb Excess Snacking on the Live Life Get Active blog for more information.

Protect your heart and reduce your risk of heart disease by following the Heart Foundation's 5 step hearth-healthy eating pattern:

1. eat plenty of vegetables, fruit and wholegrains

2. include a variety of healthy protein-rich foods

3. choose unflavoured milk, yoghurt and cheese

4. include healthy fats and oils

5. use herbs and spices to flavour foods instead of salt.

Visit the Heart Foundation's Heart-Healthy Eating Pattern page for more information.