Your body mass index (BMI) allows you to determine if your weight is normal for your height. It's designed for use in studying the health of a population group rather than making individual assessments. Many people use the BMI for individual diagnosis, although this is an inappropriate use of the BMI. The World Health Organization uses weight classifications based solely on the BMI and doesn't rely on age or gender. The WHO weight classifications also assume the population group is sedentary. This means that the WHO weight classifications shouldn't be applied to population groups that are physically active.
Step 1
Measure your height in inches with a tape measure and record the measurement. Most tape measures in the United States use inches, but the WHO BMI values assume the height is in meters. You'll need to convert your BMI to metric units later.
Step 2
Weigh yourself in pounds with a scale and record your weight. Most scales in the United States use pounds, but the WHO BMI values assume the weight is in kilograms.
Step 3
Calculate your BMI. Divide your weight in pounds by your height in inches. Divide this result by your height in inches again. Assume that you're 70 inches tall and weigh 190 pounds. Your BMI is therefore 190 / (70 x 70) = 190 / 4900 = 0.0388 pounds per square inch.
Step 4
Convert your BMI to metric units. Multiply the final result in step 3 by 703. This will provide your BMI in metric units and will be accurate to 1 decimal place.
Step 5
Determine your weight classification from your BMI in metric units. A BMI between 18.5 and 25 indicates a normal weight. A BMI that's less than 16 is classified as severely underweight, a BMI greater than 16 but less than 17 is moderately underweight, and a BMI greater than 17 but less than 18.5 is mildly underweight. A BMI greater than 25 but less than 30 is classified as pre-obesity. A BMI greater than 30 but less than 35 is obese class I. A BMI greater than 35 but less than 40 is obese class II. A BMI above 40 is obese class III.
Things You'll Need
- Tape measure
- Scales
- Calculator
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