BMI stands for Body Mass Index, an indicator of whether or not you have a healthy weight and body fat percentage. The BMI formula provides an easy and free way for you to begin to assess your weight on your own or with your doctor.
Calculating BMI
To calculate your BMI, you'll need to know your weight in pounds and your height in inches. Take weight measurements in the morning for the most accuracy. Then divide your weight in pounds by your height in inches, squared, and multiply the resulting number by 703. For example, if you weigh 150 lbs. and measure 5 feet 5 inches, you have a BMI of 24.96.
Interpreting BMI
A BMI value below 18.5 indicates an unhealthily low weight in adults, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. BMI values between 18.5 and 24.9 indicate healthy weight, BMI values between 25.0 and 29.9 indicate an unhealthily high weight, and BMI values over 30.0 indicate obesity.
Understanding BMI Limitations
BMI values can fail to provide accurate indicators of body fatness, particularly in certain groups of people. Because women typically have higher body fat percentages than men, a woman with the same BMI as a man may have more body fat. BMI often underestimates obesity in women, as well as in elderly adults who have lost muscle mass and gained body fat, according to the Mayo Clinic. Highly trained athletes, on the other hand, typically have less body fat than the average adult, and their BMI values may overestimate body fatness.
Considering Other Factors
Before you decide that you need to gain or lose weight, discuss your BMI with your doctor. Your doctor may suggest that you consider other factors when assessing your risk of heart disease and other obesity-related diseases. For example, your waist circumference, your body fat percentage, your blood pressure and your family history can all indicate a particular risk level for these diseases, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
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