Body Mass Index
The BMI stands for Body Mass Index. It takes a person's weight in kilograms and divides it by the square of their height in meters. For instance, if you are 1.82 meters tall, the divisor of the calculation will be (1.82 * 1.82) = 3.3124. If your weight is 70.5 kilograms, then your BMI equals 21.3 (70.5 / 3.3124).
The higher the BMI figure, the more overweight you are. Like any of these types of measures it is only an indication and other issues such as body type and shape have a bearing as well. Remember, BMI is just a guide - it does not accurately apply to elderly populations, pregnant women or very muscular athletes.
The following table gives an indication of what BMI scores mean.
underweight |
< 20 |
healthy range |
20-25 |
overweight |
25-30 |
obese |
> 30 |
Calculate your own BMI!
- If you are from the US, use this calculator.
- For the rest of the world, there is a metric version.
Related Pages
- Sports Nutrition Calculators
- BMI Norm Table — a more details table of ratings for BMI
- A BMI Table - determine your ideal body weight based on the Body Mass Index.
- How to measure BMI
- Measuring Body Composition
Any comments, suggestions, or corrections? Please let us know.
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