The National Institutes of Health's Medline Plus website explains that body mass index is a good indicator of whether or not your weight is healthy for your height. It gives your body composition a numeric value, helping to identify you as being underweight, normal weight, overweight, obese or morbidly obese. Because the assessment is not gender-specific, a healthy body mass index number will be the same for a woman as it would be for a man.
BMI
Often referred to as simply BMI, body mass index takes your weight in pounds and your height in inches to arrive at a numeric value. Though it doesn't account for bone density or lean muscle, most women can use the BMI equation to estimate their body fatness, asserts the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. To determine your BMI, simply plug your weight and height into one of the following equations: [weight / (height x height)] x 703 or (weight x 703) / (height x height). Both equations should give you the same results.
Healthy Body Mass Index
Both the National Institutes of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention agree that a healthy body mass index in women is anywhere between 18.5 and 24.9. While women tend to carry more body fat than men, a numeric value within this range is still considered normal weight for your height.
BMI and Age
The only caveat with body mass index is your age. Once you're over the age of 65, the National Institutes of Health actually suggests carrying a higher BMI. Ideally, you want your body mass index around 25 to 27 after this age. It's thought to reduce the risk of osteoporosis, a condition that leads to porous bones.
Health Risks
Until you reach the age of 65, higher body mass indexes often result in serious health problems, especially when your BMI reaches 30 or greater. The National Institutes of Health warns that the added weight can put strain on your heart, causing heart disease, high blood pressure and other cardiovascular conditions. It's also known to increase your risk of Type 2 diabetes, high blood cholesterol, fatty liver disease, sleep apnea and stroke, according to the Mayo Clinic.
Treatment
To bring your BMI within a healthy range for your height, lifestyle changes are typically recommended. This includes reducing your caloric intake and increasing your physical activity. You should also limit your intake of saturated fat, trans-fatty acids, dietary cholesterol and sodium while increasing low-calorie, nutrient-rich foods, such as fruits, vegetables, legumes, whole grains and lean protein.
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