What is the body mass index (BMI)?

The body mass index (BMI) is a measure that uses your height and weight to work out if your weight is healthy.
The BMI calculation divides an adult's weight in kilograms by their height in metres squared. For example, A BMI of 25 means 25kg/m2.

BMI ranges

For most adults, an ideal BMI is in the 18.5 to 24.9 range.
For children and young people aged 2 to 18, the BMI calculation takes into account age and gender as well as height and weight.
If your BMI is:
  • below 18.5 – you're in the underweight range
  • between 18.5 and 24.9 – you're in the healthy weight range
  • between 25 and 29.9 – you're in the overweight range
  • between 30 and 39.9 – you're in the obese range 
If you want to calculate your BMI, see How can I work out my BMI? or try our healthy weight calculator. 

Accuracy of BMI

BMI takes into account natural variations in body shape, giving a healthy weight range for a particular height.
As well as measuring your BMI, health care professionals may take other factors into account when assessing if you're a healthy weight.
Muscle is much denser than fat, so very muscular people, such as heavyweight boxers, weight trainers and athletes, may be a healthy weight even though their BMI is classed as obese.
Your ethnic group can also affect your risk of some health conditions. For example, adults of Asian origin may have a higher risk of health problems at BMI levels below 25.
You should not use BMI as a measure if you're pregnant. Get advice from your midwife or GP if you're concerned about your weight.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Honey to Get Smooth Skin Method 1- Honey Face Mask Honey is the best ingredient to opt for if you are looking to have a clear and glowing complexion. Honey contains skin cleansing and deep moisturizing properties. Try this one ingredient and one step remedy to have a radiant skin! Things we need Organic honey – 1 tbsp Process Apply organic honey all over your face and neck area. Leave this honey mask on the face for about 10-15 mins or until it dries completely. Later wash your face with lukewarm water and gently pat the skin dry. This process can be repeated twice in a day for three weeks or until there are visible signs of a smooth skin with a natural glow. Method 2- Honey and Milk Face Mask Honey is one ingredient that is highly recommended to be included in your smooth skin diet. Most of the popular dieticians even recommend consumption of honey with warm water for a glowing skin and as the perfect remedy to lose weight. Try this simple but highly effective remed...
Read more
What Is Cancer? Cancer can start any place in the body. It starts when cells grow out of control and crowd out normal cells. This makes it hard for the body to work the way it should. Cancer can be treated very well for many people. In fact, more people than ever before lead full lives after cancer treatment. Here we will explain what cancer is and how it’s treated. You’ll find a list of words about cancer and what they mean at the end of this booklet. Cancer basics Cancer is not just one disease. There are many types of cancer. It’s not just one disease. Cancer can start in the lungs, the breast, the colon, or even in the blood. Cancers are alike in some ways, but they are different in the ways they grow and spread. How are cancers alike? The cells in our bodies all have certain jobs to do. Normal cells divide in an orderly way. They die when they are worn out or damaged, and new cells take their place. Cancer is when the cells start to grow out of control. The cancer ...
Read more
Image
Non-communicable disease From Wikipedia A  non-communicabl e  disease   ( NCD ) is a medical condition or disease that is not caused by infectious agents ( non-infectious   or   non- transmissible ). NCDs can refer to chronic diseases which last for long periods of time and progress slowly. Sometimes, NCDs result in rapid deaths such as seen in certain diseases such as   autoimmune diseases ,   heart diseases ,   stroke ,   cancers ,   diabetes ,   chronic kidney disease ,   osteoporosis ,   Alzheimer's disease ,   cataracts , and others. While sometimes referred to as synonymous with " chronic diseases ", NCDs are distinguished only by their non-infectious cause, not necessarily by their duration, though some chronic diseases of long duration may be caused by   infections . Chronic diseases require   chronic care management , as do all diseases that are slow to develop and of long duration. ...
Read more