BMI short for Body Mass Index is a measure of underweight, overweight and obesity. It’s calculated from your height and weight. BMI is a great tool that helps to assess your weight and associated health risk. Use the calculator below to to determine your Body Mass Index and your caregory.
The body mass index (BMI), or Quetelet index, was devised by the Belgian polymath Adolphe Quetelet. The value is calculated by dividing the wight of the person being assess in kilograms by the height in meters squared. BMI is a quick and easy method for determining if body weight is appropriate for body height. The calculator above can calculate you Body Mass Index by Lbs. and Ft./In. The BMI for children is used differently than for adults. It’s calculated the same, but is then compared to typical values for other children of the same age and sex.
BMI=Mass(kg) / Height (m)
or
BMI=(Mass(lb) / Height(in)) * 703
The BMI score results are explained bellow.
| Underweight | 18.0 |
| Normal | 18.5–24.9 |
| Overweight | 25.0–29.9 |
| Obesity | 30.0 and Above |
| Class 1 | 30.0-34.9 |
| Class 2 | 35.0-39.9 |
| Class 3(extreme) | 40.0 and above |
Benefits of using BMI:
BMI is quick, easy and cheap method for determining if body weight is appropriate for the body height. For most adults there is a clear connection between elevated, low BMI and negative health consequences. The recommended BMI range is 18.5 to 24.9 kg. The BMI is currently the accepted method for interpreting the height-weight relationship.
Limitations:
BMI doesn’t differentiate between fat and fat-free weight, which could be problematic when testing athletic individuals with large lean mass. Athletes and active people are often better calculated using measures of the body (skinfold measurements) or underwater weighing. A further limitation of BMI relates to loss of height through aging. In this situation, BMI will increase without any corresponding increase in weight.
At the end BMI is fast, cheap and in many cases accurate tool, that helps to assess your weight and associated health risk. The BMI calculator can’t diagnose but assess your risk for some diseases associated with the overweight and the underweight population.