Being an appropriate weight for your height has direct impact on both your self-image and health. Genetics have an enormous impact on your body makeup and shape, so while there's no perfect body weight for specific heights, falling into a healthy weight range based on your height is important. The body mass index is an equation that is used to analyze the relationship of your height and weight and then determine whether or not your weight falls into a healthy range based on your height.
Body Mass Index
Body mass index, commonly referred to as BMI, is a number that demonstrates the relationship between your height and your weight. It has been used to indicate whether people are of a healthy weight, underweight or overweight. It's a very inexpensive and easy way to quickly calculate if you're of a healthy weight.
Concept
Using an equation to calculate obesity originated in the 1800's with Belgian statistician Adolphe Quetelet, and BMI became the standard for measuring obesity in the 1980's . Many people who fall into the overweight or obese BMI numbers are considered to be at health risks. Those who possess too high of a BMI number are at risk for serious health concerns, such as cardiovascular diseases and increased cancer risks.
Calculation
You can find a free online BMI calculator that will give you your BMI score after you enter your current height and weight. You can also calculate the value yourself by dividing how much you weigh in pounds by how tall you are in inches squared, and then multiplying that value by 703.
Interpretation
Adults with a BMI below 18.5 are considered underweight. Those who have values of 18.5 to 24.9 are considered to be of normal weight. Scores of 25.0 to 29.9 fall into the overweight range and any scores 30.0 and above indicate that an individual is obese.
Considerations
There is a significant problem with using solely BMI and the relationship of your height and weight to determine if you're at a healthy or perfect weight. BMI fails to take into account the composition of your body. It's unable to distinguish how much of your body weight is fat and how much is lean tissue. Therefore, you could have two individuals who are the same height and weight and therefore would receive the same BMI score, but one could have more muscle mass and thus have a significantly lower body fat percentage.
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