Being overweight or obese increases your risk of serious health conditions such as high blood pressure, sleep apnea, cardiovascular disease, stroke, diabetes and some forms of cancer. A screening method known as body mass index, or BMI, measures whether your weight is in a healthy range based on your height. Calculating BMI helps your doctor determine whether or not you should lose weight for optimal health.
Calculating BMI
To determine your BMI, multiply your current weight in pounds by the number 703, then divide the outcome by your height in inches two times, according to MedlinePlus. For example, if you weigh 200 lbs. and are 5 feet 8 inches tall, you would multiply 200 by 703 and get 140,600. Then you would divide 140,600 by the number 68 twice and get an approximate BMI of 30.4.
Healthy Range
The normal, or "healthy" BMI range is 18.5 to 24.9. You are in the underweight category if your BMI is under 18.5, in the overweight category if your BMI is 25.0 to 29.9 and obese if your BMI is 30 or higher. A person who is 5 feet 9 inches tall would therefore be considered underweight if he weighed under 124 lbs., at a normal weight if he was somewhere between 125 and 168 lbs., overweight if he weighed between 169 and 202 lbs. and obese if he weighed over 203 lbs., according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Exceptions
Your BMI may not be an accurate representation of your body fat percentage. Muscle is denser than fat, which means you may be considered overweight if you are a muscular athlete. Alternately, you may be thin but have too much body fat hidden between your organs. If you are elderly, you may benefit from having a slightly higher BM -- somewhere between 25 and 27 -- because it may help reduce your risk of suffering from osteoporosis, according to MedlinePlus. Finally, you may not fit into the standard BMI category if you are under 18 years of age. Since kids and teens grow at different rates, doctors take an extra step and compare kids' and teens' BMIs with the BMIs of young people within the same age, sex and height category.
Other Factors
Measuring BMI has its limitations. For example, you may have a low BMI but still have a waist-to-hip ratio that puts you in the "at-risk" category for heart disease. A ratio of 0.90 or under is deemed safe for men and a ratio of 0.80 or less is considered safe for women. Other factors that influence your health are blood pressure, cholesterol levels, blood sugar levels, physical activity, diet and habits such as smoking and drinking.
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