Body mass index, or BMI, is a way to assist 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 an individual has. If your weight might be putting you at threat for health problems such as heart cancer, illness, and diabetes, BMI is frequently used as a screening tool to choose.
BMI is used to broadly specify various weight groups in grownups 20 years old or older. The same groups apply to both females and males.
- Underweight: BMI is less than 18.5
- Normal weight: BMI is 18.5 to 24.9
- Overweight: BMI is 25 to 29.9
- Obese: BMI is 30 or more
What is my BMI?
There are several ways to discover your BMI.
Charts and online calculators
Tables and charts, such as the one below, are one simple method to figure out your BMI. There are likewise a number of online BMI calculators, such as this one on our site.
To utilize the table listed below, discover 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 suit-- healthy weight, overweight, or overweight:.
Some examples
This table reveals us that a female who is 5 ft. 4 in. tall is considered overweight (BMI is 25 to 29) if she weighs between 145 and 169 pounds. She is considered obese (BMI is 30 or more) if she weighs 174 pounds or more.
A male who is 5 ft. 10 in. tall is considered 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 likewise compute your own BMI. The real formula to figure out BMI utilizes metric system measurements: weight in kilograms (kg) divided by height in meters, squared (m2).
When using pounds and inches, the formula requires to be modified 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 example, if you weigh 120 pounds and are 5 ft. 3 in. (63 in.) tall:.
BMI = (120 x 703) ÷ (63 x 63) or 84,360 ÷ 3969 = 21.3.
This is well within the healthy weight variety.
Are there any issues using the BMI?
Doctors and nurses typically utilize BMI to help discover if an individual might have a weight problem. BMI gives an excellent estimate of overall body fat for the majority of people, however it does not work well for everybody. For example, bodybuilders or other extremely muscular people can have a high BMI because of their muscle mass, although they're not necessarily overweight. The BMI can also underestimate body fat in individuals who have lost muscle mass, such as some older individuals.
For a lot of adults, the BMI is a good way to get a concept of healthy weight ranges. But it's not constantly the final word in choosing if an individual is obese or overweight. When evaluating how much someone should weigh, there are other things to believe about. An individual with a high BMI must be assessed by a healthcare company, who might use other factors such as skinfold density (a procedure of body fat), waist size, assessments of diet and household health issue, and other factors to learn if a person's weight may posture a health threat.
BMI in teens and children
BMI can be computed the same way for kids and teenagers as it is for grownups, but the numbers don't have the very same significance. This is because the normal quantity of body fat modifications with age in teens and children, and is different in between young boys and girls. So for kids, BMI levels that specify 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 developed age- and gender-specific growth charts. These charts are utilized to equate a BMI number into a percentile based on a child's sex and age. The percentiles are then used to figure out 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 cause health problems. And it may straight increase the threat for certain health issue later in life, including some sort of cancer. It also increases the opportunities of being obese or overweight as an adult, along with the danger of illness that can feature this.