Body mass index, or BMI, is a method to help you find out if you are at a healthy weight for your height. BMI is a number based on your weight and height. In general, the higher the number, the more body fat a person has. If your weight may be putting you at risk for health problems such as heart disease, cancer, and diabetes, BMI is frequently utilized as a screening tool to choose.
BMI is utilized to broadly define different weight groups in adults 20 years old or older. The exact same groups apply to both women and males.
- Underweight: BMI is less than 18.5
- Regular weight: BMI is 18.5 to 24.9
- Overweight: BMI is 25 to 29.9
- Overweight: BMI is 30 or more
What is my BMI?
There are numerous methods to find your BMI.
Charts and online calculators
Tables and charts, such as the one below, are one simple method to determine your BMI. There are also several online BMI calculators, such as this one on our site.
To utilize the table listed below, find your height on the left side of the chart, then cross to the weight that is closest to yours. At the top of the chart you can see your BMI, and at the bottom of the chart you can see which classification you fit into-- healthy weight, overweight, or overweight:.
Some examples
This table reveals us that a female who is 5 ft. 4 in. If she weighs between 145 and 169 pounds, tall is thought about overweight (BMI is 25 to 29). She is thought about obese (BMI is 30 or more) if she weighs 174 pounds or more.
A man who is 5 ft. 10 in. high is thought about overweight (BMI is 25 to 29) if he weighs in between 174 and 202 pounds, and is overweight (BMI is 30 or more) if he weighs 209 pounds or more.
Computing my BMI
You can also calculate your own BMI. The actual formula to identify BMI uses metric system measurements: weight in kgs (kg) divided by height in meters, squared (m2).
When utilizing pounds and inches, the formula requires to be altered somewhat. Increase your weight in pounds by 703. Divide that by your height in inches, squared:.
BMI = (your weight in pounds x 703) ÷ (your height in inches x your height in inches).
For instance, if you weigh 120 pounds and are 5 ft. 3 in. (63 in.) high:.
BMI = (120 x 703) ÷ (63 x 63) or 84,360 ÷ 3969 = 21.3.
This is well within the healthy weight variety.
Exist any issues utilizing the BMI?
Nurses and doctors typically utilize BMI to assist discover if an individual may have a weight problem. BMI provides an excellent quote of overall body fat for the majority of people, however it doesn't work well for everyone. For instance, bodybuilders or other really muscular individuals can have a high BMI because of their muscle mass, although they're not necessarily overweight. The BMI can likewise undervalue body fat in people who have lost muscle mass, such as some older individuals.
For a lot of adults, the BMI is an excellent way to get a concept of healthy weight ranges. But it's not always the final word in choosing if a person is obese or overweight. When judging how much someone should weigh, there are other things to believe about. An individual with a high BMI ought to be examined by a healthcare company, who may use other elements such as skinfold density (a measure of body fat), waist size, examinations of diet and family illness, and other aspects to find out if an individual's weight may present a health danger.
BMI in children and teenagers
BMI can be calculated the same way for kids and teenagers as it is for grownups, however the numbers do not have the very same significance. This is because the normal quantity of body fat modifications with age in kids and teens, and is various between kids and girls. So for kids, BMI levels that define being normal weight or overweight are based upon the child's age and gender.
To represent this, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has actually established age- and gender-specific development charts. These charts are utilized to translate a BMI number into a percentile based on a kid's sex and age. The percentiles are then used to determine the various weight groups:.
- Underweight: less than the 5th percentile
- Typical weight: 5th percentile to less than the 85th percentile
- Overweight: 85th percentile to less than the 95th percentile
- Obese: 95th percentile or greater
Even in a young person, being overweight or overweight can trigger illness. And it may straight increase the danger for certain illness later in life, consisting of some type of cancer. It also increases the opportunities of being overweight or obese as an adult, as well as the danger of health problems that can come with this.