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Body mass index calculator equation5/11/2023 ![]() ![]() However, it should be considered a rough guide because it may not correspond to the same degree of fatness in different individuals. BMI provides the most useful population-level measure of overweight and obesity as it is the same for both sexes and for all ages of adults. While BMI is a simple, inexpensive method of screening for weight categories, it is not a diagnostic tool. According to a report in the August 2006 New England Journal of Medicine, excess body weight during midlife is associated with an increased risk of death. You should be aware of your BMI because of the health risks of being overweight (that is, having a BMI of 25 or over). ![]() People of Asian descent have different associations between body mass index, percentage of body fat, and health risks than those of European descent, with a higher risk of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease at body mass index lower than the WHO cut-off point for overweight, 25 kg/m 2, although the cutoff for observed risk varies among different Asian populations.Įssentially, body mass index is a simple mathematical formula, based on height and weight, that is used to measure fatness. At 30–35 kg/m 2, median survival is reduced by 2–4 years at 40–45 kg/m 2, it is reduced by 8–10 years (which is comparable with the effects of smoking) 5). The progressive excess mortality above this range is due mainly to vascular disease and is probably largely causal. Although other anthropometric measures (eg, waist circumference, waist-to-hip ratio) could well add extra information to the body-mass index (BMI), and BMI to them, body-mass index (BMI) is in itself a strong predictor of overall mortality both above and below the apparent optimum of about 22♵–25 kg/m2. In this large, pooled analysis of prospective studies, both overweight and obesity (and possibly underweight BMI below 22♵ kg/m 2) were associated with increased all-cause mortality in analyses restricted to participants who never smoked and did not have diagnosed cancer or heart disease 4). Although it is well established that obese people - defined as having a body-mass index (BMI) (the weight in kilograms divided by the square of the height in meters) of 30.0 kg/m 2 or more - have increased death rates from heart disease, stroke, and many specific cancers 3). Two thirds of the adult population in the United States and at least half the populations of many other developed countries are currently overweight or obese 2). Commonly accepted body mass index ranges are: The body mass index is an attempt to quantify the amount of tissue mass (muscle, fat, and bone) in an individual, and then categorize that person as underweight, normal weight, overweight, or obese based on that value. The CDC has a BMI percentile calculator for children and teens at 1). To find out about your body mass index (BMI), you can use a FREE online BMI calculators from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) :įor children and adolescents (younger than 20 years of age), overweight and obesity are based on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC’s) BMI-for-age growth charts, which are available at ( ). To calculate your body mass index, you divide your body weight in kilograms by your height in meter squared (commonly expressed as kg/m 2), see the body mass index formula below. In others, such as elderly people, body mass index may appear normal even though muscle has been lost with aging. As a result, some people, such as heavily muscled athletes, may have a high BMI even though they don’t have a high percentage of body fat. Nor does it distinguish between lean body mass and fat mass. Moreover, your Body Mass Index (BMI) does not take into account your age, gender or muscle mass. The World Health Organization defines overweight as a body mass index equal to or more than 25 – 29.9 kg/m 2 and obesity as a BMI equal to or more than 30.Īdults with a body mass index of 35 or higher and an obesity-related condition (e.g., diabetes) and adults with a BMI of 40 kg/m 2 or higher are considered severely obese. For individuals, it is one of many factors that should be considered in evaluating healthy weight, along with waist size, body fat composition, waist circumference, blood pressure, cholesterol level and blood sugar. The body mass index (BMI) is defined as the body mass divided by the square of the body height, and is universally expressed in units of kg/m 2, resulting from mass in kilograms and height in meters.īMI is considered an important measure for understanding population trends. The body mass index (BMI) or Quetelet index is a value derived from the mass (weight) and height of an individual. Body Mass Index for Men and Women Adults.
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