Your body mass index (BMI) number indicates the estimated amount of fat in your body. Higher BMI numbers may indicate a heightened risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes and some types of cancer, according to the Mayo Clinic staff. A BMI over 29.9 indicates obesity, which presents the highest risk of fat-related diseases, but the calculation is only an estimate and should be combined with information from your doctor to get an individualized picture of your target weight and a health plan for maintaining that weight.
Step 1
Multiply your height, measured in inches, by itself. For example, if you are 6 feet tall, multiply 72 inches by 72 inches. The result in this case is 5,184.
Step 2
Divide your weight by your result from the first equation. For example, if you are 170 lbs. and 6 feet tall, divide 170 by 5,184 to get 0.03279. You can round off the number after a few digits.
Step 3
Multiply your result by 703, which in this case will leave you with a result of 23.05.
Step 4
Compare your result to the standard BMI ranges: under 18.5 is underweight, 18.5 to 24.9 is normal, 25 to 29.9 is overweight, and 30 and above is obese.
Tips and Warnings
- If you are highly muscular, your BMI may be high due to the muscle weight; this does not mean you are overweight or obese. The BMI calculation does not distinguish between weight from fat and weight from muscle. If math isn't your strength, try using an online BMI calculator.
Things You'll Need
- Calculator
Member Comments