Hi, I'm Cathy with Level Up RN. In this video, we are going to discuss how to calculate an individual's daily caloric requirements, which will include a discussion about basal metabolic rate or BMR. We are also going to talk about body mass index or BMI in this video. And then at the end of the video, I'm going to give you guys a quiz to test your understanding of some of the key points I'll be covering. So definitely stay tuned for that. And if you have our Level Up RN nutrition flashcards, go ahead and pull out your flashcards so you can follow along with me.
To calculate how many calories an individual needs per day, you would take their basal metabolic rate or BMR plus the amount of calories required for physical activity plus the thermic effect of feeding. So let's go over each of these components now. Basal metabolic rate or BMR is the energy required for involuntary activities of the body in a resting condition. So examples of involuntary activities include regulation of body temperature, breathing, and heart function. So BMR represents about 70 percent of an individual's energy requirements, and knowing what factors increase BMR and decrease BMR is definitely important to know in nursing school. And it would lend itself well to a select-all-that-applies-type question. Let's first talk about factors that increase BMR. So BMR is higher in males. It is higher in taller individuals, and it is higher during periods of growth. So children will have a higher BMR, and BMR will be increased during pregnancy as well. Other things that can increase an individual's BMR include increased muscle mass, fever, certain health conditions such as hyperthyroidism, very hot or very cold environments, as well as caffeine and smoking. Let's now talk about factors that result in a decreased BMR. So BMR is lower in females. It is decreased in shorter individuals, and it decreases as we get older. So basically, that's three strikes against me. I'm female, I'm short, and I'm getting older, so yay. Other things that decrease BMR include reduced muscle mass, certain health conditions such as hypothyroidism, fasting, and malnutrition. The next part of the equation is physical activity. This is the amount of energy required by the skeletal muscles for body movement. This number represents about 20% of an individual's energy needs but can vary greatly depending on the intensity and duration of exercise as well as the individual's weight. And then the last part of the equation is the thermic effect of feeding or TEF. This is the amount of energy required to digest and metabolize food. And this number represents about 10 percent of an individual's energy needs.
Let's now talk about body mass index, or BMI, which is the measure of an individual's body fat based on their height and weight. So BMI definitely has its limitations and doesn't take into consideration ethnicity, race, muscle mass, weight distribution, or age. However, in nursing school, you definitely need to know how to calculate BMI and how to interpret a BMI. So let's go over that information now. BMI is calculated by taking the patient's weight in kilograms and dividing that by the patient's height in meters square. A BMI less than or equal to 18.4 is considered underweight. A BMI between 18.5 and 24.9 is considered a healthy weight. A BMI between 25 and 29.9 is considered overweight, and then a BMI greater than or equal to 30 is considered obese.
All right. It's quiz time, and I've got four questions for you. Question number 1, blank is the energy required by involuntary activities of the body in a resting condition. The answer is basal metabolic rate or BMR. Question number 2, would a fever cause an increase or decrease in BMR? The answer is increase. Question number 3, how do you calculate BMI? The answer is you take the individual's weight in kilograms, and you divide that by their height in meters squared. Question number 4, what is the weight status for a person with a BMI of 29? The answer is they would be considered to be overweight according to their BMI. All right. That is it for this video. I hope it was helpful. Thank you so much for watching, and good luck with studying.
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