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Body Mass Index (BMI): Frequently Asked Questions

What is Body mass index?

It is a calculation taking into account a person's height and weight (See BMI Calculator under Who Qualifies).
Body Mass Index (BMI) is a calculation which takes into account height and weight. A BMI score of 27 or higher normally indicates that there is a weight problem which may affect the individual's health.
Source: www.mwlc.com
Since 1998, the National Institutes of Health have used body mass index to define overweight and obesity. BMI is a measure of body weight relative to height. It has some limitations, including the fact it can overestimate body fat in people who are very muscular and underestimate body fat in people who have lost muscle mass, like the elderly. In general, though, BMI closely correlates with total body fat for most individuals.

What is body mass index (BMI)?

Body mass index (BMI) is a measure of body weight relative to height. BMI can be used to determine if you are at a healthy weight, overweight or obese. To figure out BMI, use the following formula: BMI = Weight in pounds X 703 Height in inches X Height in inches A body mass index (BMI) of 18.5 to 25 refers to a healthy weight, a BMI of 25 to 30 refers to overweight and a BMI of 30 or higher refers to obese. Click here to use our interactive BMI Calculator.
Body mass index (BMI) is a measure of body weight relative to height. BMI can be used to determine if you are at a healthy weight, overweight or obese. To figure out BMI, use the following formula:
BMI is just a number. It is not an indication of health. Rather, it is a crude calculation of an individual’s weight to height ratio that does not take into account important factors such as age, gendered fat distribution, ethnicity, socio-economic status, dieting history, access to medical care, experiences of discrimination, genetics, smoking history, disease status, and fitness level. ...
The BMI is a ratio between your weight in kilograms and your height in meters squared that helps to determine the degree of obesity. Individuals with a BMI greater than 40 are considered to have clinically severe obesity.
BMI is a measure used to index a person’s height and weight. BMI allows healthcare professionals and patients to better understand health issues associated with a specific weight classification (classifications such as obesity and morbid obesity).

What is my Body Mass Index (BMI)?

You can find out what your BMI is simply by knowing your height and weight and using the BMI chart below: Body Mass Index 25 30 35 40 45 50 Height (Inches) Body Weight (Pounds) 4’10” 119 143 167 191 215 238 5’0” 128 153 179 204 230 256 5’2” 136 164 191 218 245 272 5’4” 145 174 204 232 261 290 5’6” 155 186 216 247 278 309 5’8” 164 197 230 262 295 328 5’10” 174 207 243 278 313 348 6’0” 184 221 258 294 331 368 6’2” 202 233 272 311 357 396 6’4” 205 246 287 328 369 410
Your Body Mass Idex determines your suitability for surgery and which type of surgery you should have. It is an indication of how obese you are. This measurement can vary and be one of the following categories: Normal body weight Danger of some health risks Obese Morbidly Obese

What are the classifications of the Body Mass Index?

A BMI of less than 18.5 is underweight, normal weight is between 18.5 and 25, overweight is between 25 and 30 and obese is greater than 30.

What are the alternatives to the Body Mass Index?

An alternative classification scheme uses the waist to hip ratio (see our online waist to hip ratio calculator) to measure vascular health risk. Other methods estimate body fat percentage and use this value to suggest whether an individual is overweight. These methods range from body fat calculators based on body circumference through to esimates of body fat from calipers using skin folds . More complicated methods include underwater weighing, bioelectrical impedance, and computerized topography.

How is the Body Mass Index Calculated?

BMI is found by dividing a person's weight in kilograms by height in meters squared. The mathematical formula is: BMI = weight (kg) / height squared (m˛) To determine BMI using pounds and inches, multiply your weight in pounds by 704.5,* then divide the result by your height in inches, and divide that result by your height in inches a second time. Alternatively use the online BMI calculator .

What should my Body Mass Index (BMI) be?

The BMI standards and definitions listed below are from the American Society for Bariatric Surgery (1999): Acceptable Range 18.5 - 24.9 Overweight 25 - 29.9 Obese 30 - 34.9 Severe obesity 35 - 39.9 Morbid obesity 40 - 49.9 Super morbid obesity 50+++

What is the difference between Body Mass Index (BMI) and Body Fat percentage?

BMI (Body Mass Index) uses your height and weight values to determine whether you are at risk for weight-related health problems. Your body fat percentage is simply the percentage of fat your body contains. If you are 150 pounds and 10% fat, it means that your body consists of 15 pounds fat and 135 pounds lean body mass (bone, muscle, organ tissue, blood and everything else).

What is a normal body mass index?

Status Body Mass Index Underweight < 18.5 Normal 18.5 - 25 Overweight 25 - 30 Obese 30 - 35 Very obese 35 - 40 Extremely obese > 40

How is the body mass index (BMI) calculated?

The most common way to think about whether you are overweight is to look at your body mass index (BMI). This is calculated by comparing your weight with your height, using the following formula: BMI = weight in kilograms / (height in metres) 2 Example: I weigh 74kg and my height is 1.87m, so my BMI is 74 / (1.87) 2 = 21.2 kg per m 2

What is BMI (Body Mass Index)?

Body mass index (BMI) is a calculation that uses your height and weight to estimate how much body fat you have in your body. It provides a simple numeric measure of a person's "fatness" or "thinness", allowing health professionals to discuss over- and under-weight problems more objectively.

How do I interpret the body mass index?

A normal BMI is between 20 and 25 kg/m 2 . An individual with a BMI greater than 25 is obese and is associated with increased morbidity and mortality from heart disease and cancer. Greater health risks and more severe obesity are associated with a higher BMI. An individual with a BMI less than 20 is underweight and may be malnourished. A BMI less than 18 is consistent with more severe malnutrition.
A normal BMI is between 20 and 25 kg/m 2 . An individual with a BMI greater than 25 is obese and is associated with increased morbidity and mortality from heart disease and cancer. Greater health risks and more severe obesity are associated with a hig her BMI. An individual with a BMI less than 20 is underweight and may be malnourished. A BMI less than 18 is consistent with more severe malnutrition.

What about the body mass index (BMI)?

There is no longer a cut-off. If you are able to complete the pool training then this is used as an indication of your fitness to dive. A high BMI does not necessarily reflect a poor level of fitness, just as a low BMI does not guarantee good fitness.
Source: www.bsac.org

Are there any units to the Body Mass Index?

Yes, the units are kg/m˛.

Which organisations use the Body Mass Index?

The U.S. National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute and National Institutes of Health, and the World Health Organization recommend the body mass index to classify obesity.

What is the body mass index or BMI anyway?

The body mass index, or BMI, is calculated by dividing your weight in kilograms by the square of your height in meters. It provides a rough guide to whether you are of normal weight, overweight, or obese. But it's not perfect. Some athletes who have 6% body fat will fall into the overweight or even obese category because of the weight of their muscle mass. At any rate, it's the best guide we have and you should be at 30 or below to have a safe abdominoplasty surgery.

What is body mass index, or BMI, and what should my BMI be?

Body Mass Index is a calculation of measured height and weight that is one of the simplest, but most important, ways of tracking nutritional status. This information can be quickly used with the BMI scale to determine whether a patient is under- or overweight. The BMI standards and definitions listed below are from the American Society for Bariatric Surgery (1999): Acceptable range 18.5-24.9 Overweight 25-29.9 Obese 30-34.9 Severe obesity 35-39.9 Morbid obesity 40-49.9 Super morbid obesity 50-+++ BMI CALCULATOR

Why does my BMI (Body Mass Index) seem high?

The BMI chart isn't for everyone. It overestimates body fat in people who are muscular or athletic because it doesn't distinguish between body fat and lean body mass. It doesn't take into account location of body fat. It can't accurately classify elderly individuals who are frail and sedentary, and it's not a good index for adolescents or children. The BMI chart shows percentile statistics, so you can compare your weight to others of the same age and height.

What is the relationship between body fat and the Body Mass Index?

BMI does not directly measure body fat percentage. Deurenberg et al. produced a formula to predict body fat from BMI which can be accessed from our body fat and Body Mass Index calculator An alternative to the Deurenberg calculator is the Gallagher body fat calculator . We also have alternative body fat calculators based on body part dimensions and skinfold measurments from calipers.

Is the body mass index a better predictor than body fat?

Although body mass index is useful because it is easy to measure it has been shown in a recent publication that body fat may be a better method to evaluate obesity (see Ten-year comparison of BMI, body fat, and fitness in the workplace, Am J Ind Med 2006 49(4) 223-230 and Relationship between adiposity and body size reveals limitations of BMI, Am J Phys Anthropol. 2006 129(1) 151-6. )

How do I find my Body Mass Index or BMI?

You can use the form below to find your BMI Index. Simply enter your height in feet and inches, and then weight in pounds and click calculate to calculate your BMI. For more information, please click here Height: Feet, Inches Weight: Lbs.

How do you calculate your Body Mass Index (BMI)?

The body mass index is used in medial practitioners to decide whether a person needs to lose weight. It is calculated by dividing ones weight in kilograms by ones the square of one’s height in pounds. BMI calculators can be found on many websites – use a search engine such as the one at the foot of this page. The BMI of an athlete should not be used in the same way as that of a normal person as the body may be composed of a higher muscle to fat ratio than normal.
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