BMI Body Mass Index calculator Examples

Learn about the process, both mentally and physically, to effectively lose weight and keep it off. There are two ways to calculate BMI, depending on whether you use the metric system or the imperial system. The most common equation is the metric one, but imperial can be used.

The BMI is generally used as a means of correlation between groups related by general mass and can serve as a vague means of estimating adiposity. The duality of the BMI is that, while it is easy to use as a general calculation, it is limited as to how accurate and pertinent the data obtained from it can be. Generally, the index is suitable for recognizing trends within sedentary or overweight individuals because there is a smaller margin of error. The BMI has been used by the WHO as the standard for recording obesity statistics since the early 1980s. The BMI is expressed in kg/m2, resulting from mass in kilograms and height in metres. If pounds and inches are used, a conversion factor of 703 (kg/m2)/(lb/in2) is applied. When the term BMI is used informally, the units are usually omitted.

What are the limitations of BMI?

Nevertheless, due to its simplicity, it has come to be widely used for preliminary diagnoses. Additional metrics, such as waist circumference, can be more useful. Body mass index Chart showing body mass index for a range of heights and weights in both metric and imperial. Colours indicate BMI categories defined by the World Health Organization; underweight, normal weight, overweight, moderately obese, severely obese and very severely obese. Even though the BMI chart can be inaccurate for certain people, healthcare providers still use it because it’s the quickest tool for assessing a person’s estimated body fat amount.

It’s important to remember that you could have any of the above health conditions without having a high BMI. Similarly, you could have a high BMI without having any of these conditions. Genetics and other factors, such as smoking cigarettes, play a large role in the development of these conditions. This measure does not take into account your age, race, sex, or fitness level. Consider BMI for what it is—an estimate, not a measurement, and just one piece of information that can help paint the picture of your overall health. Your healthcare provider can help you better understand how your BMI fits in.

Metric Method

It can help assess risk factors for certain health conditions. The BMI is not always an accurate representation of body fatness. However, on an individual level, BMI can be less accurate, and it is best used in conjunction with other data (e.g., body composition tests) in the full assessment of an individual’s weight status.

The optimal BMI was found to be in the range of 22.5–25. The average BMI of athletes is 22.4 for women and 23.6 for men. Also, the growth of a child is documented against a BMI-measured growth chart.

Relationship to health

There’s also a good section about BMI on the CDC website. Learn more about how to use these formulae with our in-depth article on the BMI formula.

• A better measure was found to be the waist-to-height ratio.
• There are different ways of calculating your BMI depending on the type of measurements you have taken.
• This measure does not take into account your age, race, sex, or fitness level.
• This can partially explain the increase in the overweight diagnosis in the past 20 years, and the increase in sales of weight loss products during the same time.
• One study found that BMI had a good general correlation with body fat percentage, and noted that obesity has overtaken smoking as the world’s number one cause of death.

BMI is only an estimate that cannot take body composition into account. Body mass index, or BMI, uses a simple equation to measure the relationship of your height to your weight, telling you if you have a healthy level of body fat. Although body mass index is a good measure for much of the population, it’s not infallible. In muscular body types — particularly bodybuilders or other stocky, beefy athletes — your BMI may show you as having overweight even though you’re lean and healthy.

Body Mass Index and Health

A waist circumference greater than 40 inches around, if you’re male, or, if you’re female, 35 inches around, indicates an abundance of harmful deep-abdominal fat and a higher risk of chronic disease. A big, muscular frame doesn’t exclude you from carrying too much belly fat, so use a tape measure to find your own waist size, at the point just above your hip bones, to ensure you’re within a healthy range. BMI Prime, a modification of the BMI system, is the ratio of actual BMI to upper limit optimal BMI (currently defined at 25 kg/m2), i.e., the actual BMI expressed as a proportion of upper limit optimal. The ratio of actual body weight to body weight for upper limit optimal BMI (25 kg/m2) is equal to BMI Prime. BMI Prime is a dimensionless number independent of units. Individuals with BMI Prime less than 0.74 are underweight; those with between 0.74 and 1.00 have optimal weight; and those at 1.00 or greater are overweight.

• However, most are not available in standard medical offices.
• You can use other methods, including waist circumference, blood tests and tests of body composition, to monitor your health.
• Calculating BMI is quick, and free BMI calculators are available online.
• Body mass index Chart showing body mass index for a range of heights and weights in both metric and imperial.
• Read on to learn some exercises and tips to gain weight.

The BMI Calculator finds the body mass index of a person given weight and height. Calculate your BMI and find the BMI weight category for your height. You can also calculate the normal weight range for your height.

& Healthy Weight Plan

For example, if you are 1.75 meters tall, then you would multiply 1.75 by 1.75 and get a result of approximately 3.06. Body mass index is a simple tool that is generally used to estimate the total amount of body fat. Walnut, the world’s healthiest brain How to Become an iOS Developer 2022 Guide food has unique health benefits ranging from weight management to prevention of various cancers. Losing baby weight is as important as any weight loss program and the best way to lose baby weight is to incorporate a healthy diet and exercise program.

Exercise or workouts can help you gain weight by increasing muscle mass. Read on to learn some exercises and tips to gain weight. Your BMI is , indicating your weight is in the category for adults of your height. BMI is a screening Top 10 Asp net Mvc Freelancers Best Freelance Asp net Mvc Developers measure and is not intended to diagnose disease or illness. Your healthcare provider might determine possible reasons for underweight and recommend support or treatment. It is one of the single most used tools in modern medicine.

Normal BMI and Good Health

The first step, therefore, is to capture this information in commonly used units. Calculate BMI by dividing weight in pounds by height in inches squared and multiplying by a conversion factor of 703. Use this metric and imperial BMI calculator tool to work out your body mass index and get an indication of whether your weight might be affecting your health. This BMI tool is intended for use by men and women of 18 years and over. Keep in mind, however, that BMI is not an exact science. As well as measuring your BMI, healthcare professionals may take other factors into account when assessing if you’re a healthy weight. High body fat may lead to heart disease, stroke and Type 2 diabetes.

Instead, they’re used in specialist or research settings. Even though it is a biased measure, BMI is still widely used in the medical community because it’s an inexpensive and quick way to analyze a person’s potential health status and outcomes. If this applies to you, we need to convert your height into inches so we can use it in the equation. There are 12 inches in a foot, so multiply your number of feet by 12 and add them to the number of extra inches. Divide your weight in kilograms by the value calculated in step 1.

Consequences of elevated level in adults

Body Mass Index is calculated using either the metric or imperial BMI formula. In both cases, you divide your weight by your height raised to the power of 2.