The procedure for calculating body mass index scores is the same for adults and children. Interpreting BMI scores, however, is different. The procedure is straightforward for an adult, defined in this context as someone age 20 or older. It requires determining where the score falls on a range, where BMI numbers are divided into categories ranging from underweight to obese.
Calculating An Adult BMI Score Using English Measurements
Covert your height to inches and your weight to pounds. Insert the figures into the formula: [[weight in pounds ÷ [height in inches x height in inches]] x 703. For example, if you weigh 160 pounds and are 5 feet, 5 inches tall, use 160 as your weight and [5 x 12] + 5, or 65, for your height. Thus: [[160 ÷ [65 x 65]] x 703 = [[160 ÷ [4225]] x 703 = 0.0379 x 703 = 26.6. The result, 26.6 would be your BMI score.
Calculating An Adult BMI Score Using Metric Measurements
Covert your height to meters and your weight to kilograms. Insert the figures into the formula: [[weight in kilograms ÷ [height in meters x height in meters]]. For example, if you weigh 125 kilograms and are 2 meters tall, use 125 as your weight and 2 for your height. [[125 ÷ [2 x 2]] = [[125 ÷ [4]] = 31.25, your BMI score.
Interpreting Your Adult BMI Score
BMI scores associated with healthy weight for most people fall between 18.5 and 24.9. A score of 18.5 or less indicates a person might be underweight. There are two categories associated with too much weight: BMI scores between 25.0 and 29.9 may indicate overweight and scores 30.0 or greater suggest obesity.
Significance of Your BMI Score
For most people, BMI is "one of the best" methods of estimating overweight and obesity, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Your score provides a way for you to compare the health status of your weight with that of most other people. It is one factor you, in consultation with your physician, can use to assess whether you might benefit from gaining or losing weight.
Caveats
According to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, BMI testing does have some limitations. It may, for example, not be accurate for anyone who has lost a significant amount of muscle or for some elderly individuals. Also, athletes and/or people who have a significant amount of muscle development may find that their BMI score incorrectly places them in the overweight category.
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