How to Interpret BMI

Understanding your Body Mass Index (BMI) can help you determine whether body fatness is an indicator of potential health issues. For adults over 20 years old, calculating and determining BMI is a relatively straightforward process. Use the following steps to interpret your BMI.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

1. Calculate your BMI by taking your height by inches and weight by pounds and accessing a Body Mass Index table, chart or online BMI calculator.
2. Review the BMI weight categories to interpret the results. If your BMI number is under 18.5 you are considered underweight; from 18.5 to 24.9 you are normal; 25.0 to 29.9 you are overweight; 30.0 to 39.9 you are obese; and a BMI over 40.0 is considered morbidly obese.
3. Remember that your weight is only one of many factors that affect your overall health. Talk to your doctor about your BMI. Your doctor can help your develop a plan to improve or maintain an appropriate weight and good overall health.
4. Consider an example: if you are 5'7" tall and weighed 198lb. Comparing your height and weight to a BMI chart shows a BMI of 31.0 based on the categories in Step 2.
5. Interpret the results of BMI and discover that your overall health may point to the need for additional diagnostic tests. Talk to your doctor about the score and the risk of chronic health conditions like diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol.

Tips & Warnings

• Muscle is heavier than fat, so if you're very muscular, your BMI might appear high even though you're healthy for your height and body type.
• If you're a do-it-yourself type, you can calculate your BMI manually using height and weight measurements as follows: weight (lb) / [height (in)]² x 703.
• BMI in the normal range the doesn't exclude a person from chronic health conditions. General health is determined by environmental, genetics and behavioral factors.
• You should not use BMI to determine a healthy weight for a child or adolescent under 20 years old.
• BMI is not a direct calculation of health, only a general indication. Factors such a gender, muscle tone and age may mean your ideal weight varies from your ideal BMI.