According to the World Health Organization, the body mass index can assess whether a person is underweight, normal, overweight or obese. Obesity can lead to various health problems, including stroke, heart disease, cancers, diabetes and high blood pressure. Your BMI is your weight in kilograms divided by your height in meters squared. To find out what your BMI is, use a BMI calculator, such as the one on the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, or use the formula recommended by the Centers for Disease Control to calculate it yourself.
Step 1
Weigh yourself and write down your weight in kilograms. Measure yourself and write down your height in centimeters.
Step 2
Divide your weight in kilograms by your height in centimeters. Divide the number you come up with by your height in centimeters again. For example, if you weigh 63 kg and are 160 cm, divide 63 by 160. Divide the resulting number, 0.39375, by 160 again, for a final quotient of 0.0024609375.
Step 3
Multiply the final quotient by 10,000 to find your BMI, then round to the nearest tenth. In the example, the resulting BMI would be 24.6.
Step 4
Refer to a BMI chart to see whether you are underweight, overweight or of a normal weight. According to the WHO, a healthy BMI is between 18.5 and 24.9. If your BMI is under 18.5, you might be underweight. If it is between 25 and 29.9, you might be overweight, and if it is over 30, you might be obese. Discuss your findings with your physician if you have concerns.
Things You'll Need
- Scale
- Centimeter tape measure
- Calculator
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