Your body mass index, or BMI, is a measurement of your weight in relation to your height. If you are heavier than your frame would normally dictate, your BMI will be higher. According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, a BMI between 18.5 and 24.9 is considered healthy. You are considered overweight if your BMI is between 25 and 29.9 and obese if you range from 30 to 39.9. Many factors may influence your BMI; because muscle weighs more than fat, weight lifters or muscular individuals may have a higher BMI.
Step 1
Remove shoes and stand with your heels and back against a wall. Have a friend use a ruler to connect the top of your head with the wall, marking the wall with a pencil or leaving the ruler in place.
Step 2
Run the tape measure from the floor to the ruler to measure your height in inches.
Step 3
Step on scale to determine weight.
Step 4
Multiply your weight in pounds by 703.
Step 5
Divide Step 4's answer by your height in inches. Take this answer and divide by your height in inches again to get your BMI.
Tips and Warnings
- When determining weight, be sure to remove any heavy articles of clothing as well as shoes.
- Your doctor may choose to measure your waist to hip ratio or waist circumference into consideration to determine whether or not you are overweight. A BMI is not an indicator of health or disease; talk to your doctor about your current health to determine your risk factors for disease.
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