How to Check a BMI

A big part of staying healthy is maintaining a desirable weight, because doing so minimizes your risk for heart disease and diabetes. One way to assess whether you are at a good weight is to calculate your body mass index, or BMI, a measurement based on height and weight that correlates strongly with body fat percentage. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, BMI is an easy, cost-effective tool for identifying the ideal weight for adults, and you can calculate it yourself.

Step 1

Weigh yourself on a bathroom scale first thing in the morning, while naked.

Step 2

Have an assistant help you measure your height in inches. Take off your shoes and stand up straight against a wall. Place a ruler or other rigid, thin, straight-edged object on top of your head so that it is parallel to the floor and touches the wall. Have your assistant mark in pencil where the ruler hits the wall. Then, measure the distance, in inches, from the floor to the mark using measuring tape.

Step 3

Calculate your BMI. You can do this by using an online BMI calculator (see Resources) and entering your height and weight.

You can also calculate your BMI yourself. First, square your height in inches (multiply the number by itself). Then, divide your weight in pounds by this squared figure. Finally, multiply the resulting quotient by the number 703. This is your BMI.