How to Determine Body Mass Index for your Gender

Would you like to know how to determine BMI? Your Body Mass Index is a number based on your height and weight. This article will help you convert your height and weight to metric measurements, give you the formula so you can see how to determine BMI, and then once you find body mass index you’ll see if it is in the normal range for your gender.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Scale
• Measuring tape
• Calculator (optional)

1. Convert your weight in pounds to kilograms. Multiply your weight times .454. For example, if you weigh 150 pounds, multiply 150 x .454 = 68.1 kg.

2. Convert your height in inches to meters. If you are 5 feet, multiply 5 x 12 = 60 inches. Then, to convert inches to meters, multiply by .025. For example, if you are 60 inches, multiply 60 x .025 = 1.5 meters.

3. Square your height in meters. This is part of the formula for how to find body mass index. Squaring it simply means to multiply the number by itself. For example, 1.5 meters squared is 1.5 x 1.5 = 2.25.

4. Divide your weight in kilograms by your meters that have been squared to find body mass index. That is, I’m taking the number from step 2, and dividing by the number in step 4. For example, 68.1/2.25 = 30. And that’s how to determine BMI! For a woman, the BMI would ideally be 19.1 to 25.8, and for a man, it should be 20.7 to 26.4. If you’d like information on how to find what the ideal weight for your height is, I’ve included more articles like this on the page. Good luck!

Resources

• How to Determine Body Mass Index