How to Calculate BMI Percentile
The Body Mass Index, or BMI, was created by Adolphe Quetelet, a Belgian statistician, in the 1800s. The BMI chart is intended to help categorize human bodies into one of four main categories, either underweight, normal weight, overweight or obese. To determine which category a person falls into, a formula that consists of body weight and height must be used. Once the BMI is determined, you can figure out what percentile your BMI category is in.
Instructions
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Multiply the weight in pounds by 703. For example, if the weight is 150, you must multiply by 703 to get 105,450.
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Square the height in inches. For example, if the height is 70 inches, multiply it by 70 to get 4,900.
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Divide the first number by the second number. In this example, 105,450 is divided by 4900 to get 21.52. This means the BMI is 21.52.
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Find the weight status in which the BMI falls into. "Underweight" consists of a BMI of anything below 18.5, "Healthy weight" is between 18.5 and 24.9, "Overweight" is between 25 and 29.9 and "Obese" is any BMI over 30.
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Find the percentile in which the weight category falls into. "Underweight is less than the fifth percentile, a "Healthy" weight is between the fifth and 85th percentile, "Overweight" is between the 85th and 95th percentile, while "Obese" is greater than the 95th percentile.
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