What is body mass index?
Determining how much you should weigh is not a simple matter of looking at
an insurance height-weight chart, but includes considering the amount of bone,
muscle, and fat in your body's composition. The amount of fat is the critical
measurement.
A good indicator of how much fat you carry is the Body Mass Index (BMI).
Although it is not a perfect measure, it gives a fairly accurate assessment of
how much of your body is composed of fat.
Calculate your BMI using the English formula
BMI can be calculated using pounds and inches:
BMI = (weight in pounds x 703) / (height in Inches x height in Inches)
For example, a person who weighs 165 pounds and is 5 feet 4 inches tall has
a BMI of 28.
(165 lbs x 703) / (64 inches x 64 inches) = 28
Calculate your BMI using the metric formula
BMI can be calculated using kilograms and meters:
BMI = weight in kilograms / (height in meters x height in meters)
For example, a person who weighs 99.79 Kilograms and is 1.905 meters tall
has a BMI of 27.5.
99.79 Kg / (1.905 meters x 1.905 meters)= 27.5
99.79 Kg / (1.905 meters x 1.905 meters)= 27.5
A BMI between 25 and 29 is considered overweight. Anything over 30 is
considered obese.
source: www.bettermedicine.com
