Body Mass Index (BMI)
Body Mass Index (BMI) BMI is recognized as an international standard for assessing the degree of obesity. This index takes into account only weight and height of the person and therefore does not apply to athletes, children and pregnant women. Experts in the area says that persons with high values of BMI are associated with a higher risk of suffering various diseases including heart disease. BMI is calculated by dividing weight (in kilograms) by height squared (in meters).
| Your Weight (ex: 80.5) | kg |
| Your Height (ex: 1.75): | m |
| Man | Woman |
See also on the table below where you are:
Table of BMI
| BMI Result | Situation |
|---|---|
| Below 18,5 | You are under your ideal weight |
| Between 18,5 and 24,9 | Congratualions — your weight is ideal! |
| Between 25,0 and 29,9 | Attention you are overweight! |
| Between 30,0 and 34,9 | Obesity grau I |
| Between 35,0 and 39,9 | Obesity grau II |
| 40,0 and above | Obesity grau III |
About how to calc BMI
BMI is calculated based on weight and height of a person (BMI = weight / (height * height)) where the weight should be in kg and height in meters. There is no difference in the calculation of BMI for females and males, but as the pictures show, men and women have a different weight distribution. Men tend to accumulate mass in the waist, while women accumulate weight in the hips and buttocks.
Body Mass Index was invented by Adolphe Quetelet in the first half of the 19th century. Although the index does not measure body fat percentage, is used to estimate a healthy body weight based on height of a person. It is the most used to identify individuals with weight problems within a population due to its ease of measurement and calculation.
A high BMI increases the risk of cardiovascular disease and decreases life expectancy. A high value of BMI is also associated with diabetes and hypertension and hence the risk of strokes. Find a specialist in this area and get the right guidance to have a healthier life. Take care of your health, live longer and better!
References: A special thanks to Professor Brian Curless at the Department of Computer Science and Engineering, University of Washington to create the images. Brian Curless homepage