The body mass index (BMI) is a tool used in the medical profession to gauge a person's weight classification. Because it uses only height and weight in the formula, BMI is classified the same for both men and women, with a different formula used for children and teens, which factors in their age. Once you determine your BMI, you can compare it to the classifications to obtain the category into which you fall. The BMI formula using pounds and inches is weight divided by pounds squared, multiplied by 703.
Underweight
If your BMI is less than 18.5, you are considered underweight. The World Health Organization (WHO) breaks the underweight category down further, by specifying a BMI of less than 16 to be severe thinness, from 16 to 16.99 to be moderate thinness and between 17 and 18.49 to be considered mild thinness.
Normal
A normal BMI range is between 18.5 and 24.99; WHO emphasizes that there are debates over whether this should be revised to reflect physical trait differences in specific populations, such as Asians and Polynesians, who have the tendency to hold a higher body fat count at a lower BMI. It also bears witness that a highly active person may have a BMI of more than 25 due to muscular weight, but would still be considered in the normal range.
Overweight
If your BMI is equal or greater than 25, you are considered overweight. WHO further defines overweight as having a BMI between 25 and 29.99 being considered as pre-obese; again there is an argument over the average amount of body fat in specific populations and WHO recommends defining this further into ethnic populations.
Obese
When your BMI hits 30, you are considered to be in the obese classification. This is broken down into three classes of obesity; obese class 1 falls between 30 and 34.99, obese class 2 is from 35 to 39.99 and obese class 3 is a BMI of more than 40. These obesity classifications are primarily used to gauge health risks, such as diabetes and hypertension, in obese people.
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