How Does The Bmi Define Fat And Obese?

Your body mass index is a calculation of your body composition based on weight and height. You can calculate your BMI by dividing your weight in pounds by your height in inches squared then multiplied by 703. Once you have figured your BMI, you can determine whether your weight is underweight, healthy, overweight or obese.

Body Mass Index

BMI is a method of categorizing the health of your body weight. The goal of the BMI is to estimate your body composition, including your body fat. For most people, BMI is a pretty good indicator of your percent body fat and can give you an idea of your health.

BMI Guidelines

When you calculate your BMI, you should get a two-digit figure. If your BMI falls under 18.5 you are considered to be underweight. A BMI between 18.5 to 24.9 is a normal weight. If your BMI is over 25 you are considered to be overweight. From 25 to 29.9 is an overweight BMI and over 30 is an obese BMI.

BMI and Body Composition

Since BMI is a prediction of body fatness, it can help to define whether you are fat or obese. Body fatness and obesity occurs when your body fat reaches a certain percentage. Obesity is considered a body fat percentage greater than 30 percent for women and greater than 25 percent for men.

Significance

Your BMI is related to your risk of developing disease. A larger percentage of body fat means a higher risk of chronic disease. This is including elevated cholesterol, blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease, stroke, arthritis, sleep apnea and cancer.

Limitations

The body mass index does have certain limitations. Since it takes into account only height versus weight, there are populations in which BMI may not be an accurate representation of body fat. For example, an athlete with a large amount of lean muscle tissue might still be considered fat or obese, since his weight may be greater in proportion to his height. It is also important to remember that BMI is just one calculation to take into consideration. Other factors like your medical history, genetics or waist circumference are also important for predicting your risk of developing chronic disease.