If you are wondering if you are considered to be at a healthy weight range, you can utilize an easy calculation known as the body mass index (BMI). This equation uses your height and weight to assign a number starting at 19 and increasing from there. While your BMI may not be the ultimate predictor of your overall health, it can give you insight as to where you fall in regards to your weight. Also, if your BMI is found to be in the overweight or obese ranges, it can serve as a jumping-off point to begin working toward weight-loss success.
Step 1
Measure your weight (in pounds) using a reliable scale. To get as close as possible to your actual weight, weigh yourself in lightweight clothing and remove your shoes. Record this number.
Step 2
Measure your height in height. Stand straight against a wall and have a friend (or yourself) mark your height with a pencil. For example, if you measured as being 5 feet, 8 inches tall, your height in inches would be 68. Record this number.
Step 3
Multiply your weight in pounds times the number 703. For example, a person weighing 135 pounds would computer 703 x 135, which equals 94,905.
Step 4
Divide this number by your height in inches. Fr the purposes of this example, this would be 94,905 divided by 68, which equals 1395.66.
Step 5
Divide the resulting number from step 4 by your height in inches again. This number is the equivalent to your body mass index. For this example, the sample person's BMI is 20.5.
Tips and Warnings
- Use this frame of reference from the National Institutes of Health in order to determine if your BMI is at a healthy range: less than 18.5 is underweight; 18.5 to 24.9 is healthy; 25.0 to 29.9 is overweight; 30.0 to 39.9 is obese; and higher than 40 is morbidly obese. There are a few exceptions to the accuracy of the BMI measurement. These include bodybuilders or those with extremely high muscle mass, the elderly and children (whose BMI should be compared to a separate table than adults).
Things You'll Need
- Scale
- Tape measure/yardstick
- Calculator
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