Body Mass Index
How much should I weigh? What is a healthy weight for me? Both of these
questions are difficult to answer without knowing a lot more about you, your
family health history, your weight history and your goals. One simple way to
help judge if you are where you should be is to calculate your Body Mass Index,
or BMI. The BMI is a number that represents the ratio between your height and
weight. For most people, it is highly correlated with body fatness. However, if
you are a very muscular athlete the BMI tool make not work as well for you. The
actual calculation is (Weight in kg divided by height in meters squared)
Not for use by:
- Pregnant or nursing women
- Anyone younger than 18 years old
People with chronic illnesses should discuss results with their
physician.
-
Underweight <18.5
-
Normal 18.5 24.9
-
Overweight 25.0-29.9
-
Obesity Class I 30.0-34.9
-
Obesity Class II 35.0-39.9
-
Extreme Obesity III > 40
Should I be concerned if I have a BMI of 25 or higher? BMI is only one
indicator of your health status. Data has shown that risks for diseases such as
diabetes, heart disease, hypertension and arthritis increase with increasing
BMI above the normal range. That is why your family history or personal weight
history is important to know. If you have already been on a weight loss diet
and successfully reduced your BMI to 25 that is a great accomplishment and for many people your
chances of avoiding the diseases mentioned is much improved. If you have always
been of normal weight and now it is creeping into the higher ranges and you
have other risk factors such as elevated cholesterol or blood pressure then it
is time to take action.
