At your next medical check-up, you may hear your doctor throw around the acronym “BMI.” While those letters alone won’t make a lot of sense, they stand for ‘body mass index.’ Those words can carry a lot of weight.
Many medical professionals use BMI to establish a healthy weight range. The formula calculates your weight and height to fit you in one of many categories. Your doctor can then offer advice on how to reach a healthy weight if you are not currently.
You don’t have to see a doctor to learn your BMI though. Instead, an online calculator or dedicated BMI calculator can work it out for you. Read on to learn more about what your BMI is, and how to calculate your body mass index for yourself!
What Is My BMI?
Your BMI is the resultant figure from a BMI calculator formula. We will talk more in depth about the formula below. Once you get your value, you can compare it to those within four criteria. These are underweight, normal weight, overweight, and obesity.
Underweight = 18.5 and below
If you score under 18.5, you are underweight for your height. You may need to talk to a medical professional or dietician about how to reach a healthy weight.
Normal weight = 18.5 to 24.9
While a BMI calculation can’t say you are healthy, it can tell you that you’re within a normal weight range. You don’t need to gain or lose weight.
Overweight = 25 to 29.9
You may be at risk of weight-related health problems if your BMI is in this range. See a medical professional if you are worried about your weight.
Obesity = 30 and over
Obesity puts you at risk of heart disease and many other conditions. A healthy diet and exercise can help improve your BMI score.
How Accurate is BMI?
The BMI formula is the most useful way of finding out whether you are in a healthy weight range or not. It does have some limitations and is by no means a perfect gauge of health. If you have lean body tissue, known as muscle mass, BMI may not be accurate. Muscle weighs more than fat, which BMI doesn’t consider.
Some ethnic groups also have smaller body statures, making BMI not always accurate. If you’re pregnant or a child, then BMI will not be valid for you either. If you are concerned about your weight at all, ditch the online calculator and see your GP.
How to Calculate BMI
You can calculate your BMI in two formats – imperial or metric. Both require you to divide your weight by your height and square it.
Metric BMI = weight (kg) / height2 (m2)
Imperial BMI = weight (lb) / height2 (in2) x 703
You can work out the equation yourself or use an online BMI tool.
Step one: Multiply your height in meters by itself
Step two: Divide your weight in kgs by your result in step one
For example, let’s say you weigh 100kg and are 190cm (1.9 meters) tall.
You would multiply 1.9 x 1.9 to get 3.61 meters.
Divide your weight, 100kg, by 3.61.
The answer is 27.7, which puts you in the overweight range.
Conclusion
BMI is an excellent gauge of health for an adult. While it does have some inaccuracies, it’s accurate for those who are adults, not pregnant, and don’t have any more muscle mass than average. Why not work yours out? The results may surprise you.
Image source: https://ukma.org.uk/practical-help/body-and-health/bmi/
