How to Understand Body Mass Index, or BMI

Body Mass Index is a measurement which dates from the 1800's. In the 1980's it resurfaced when so-called experts decided that folks were letting themselves go, into obesity.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• Noted in text

1. The Body Mass Index, or BMI formula was developed by Adolphe Quetelet, a Belgian astronomer, mathematician, sociologist and statistician.
   
   BMI became popular among fitness and medical professionals, and suggestions toward maintaining a healthy BMI were many. You can also use an online body mass index calculator to quickly find your BMI.
2. The BMI formula is:
   Body Weight, in pounds, times 703, divided by the square of Body Height, in inches.
   Example: If a person weighs 200 pounds, and is 6 feet (72 inches) tall, the calculation is:
   140,600 divided by 5,184 equals 27.12 BMI index.
   If a 200 pound person is only 5 feet (60 inches) tall, the calculation is: 140,600 divided by 3,600 equals 39.1 BMI index.
3. BMI results were not initially intended to be used as a precision diagnostic tool. The formulas merely intended to establish and measure a person's ratio of weight to height. You can use an online BMI calculator to easily determine your BMI.
4. The following scale is given as a guideline to define healthy and unhealthy BMI measurements:
   
   Healthy BMI=18.5 to 25
   BMI below 18.5 = underweight
   BMI above 25 = overweight
   BMI below 17.5 = near anorexic
   BMI higher than 30 = obese
   BMI above 40 = morbidly obese
5. The World Health Organization, uses the BMI formulas to help track global trends. Since BMI does not require any special equipment or tests, it is used for categorization purposes.
6. BMI only reveals the ratio of an individual's body weight to body height. Clearly, other factors also affect overall physical conditions, such as bone density, muscle mass, and others.
   
   Some heart patients with BMI in normal ranges were found to be at more risk of dying from cardiovascular disease than people in overweight ranges.
   
   Muscle is denser than fat, thus, some people with highly developed muscles have BMI measurements that indicate they are obese, when using the standard formulas. BMI measurement only deals with weight and height, without regard for hard-bodies of dense, weighty muscles.

Tips & Warnings

• As with all medical symptoms, diagnoses or treatments, consult with your health professional for individual and specific circumstances.