What is Your Body Mass Index?
Most determinations of whether an individual is overweight – and, if so, how overweight he or she is are based on a formula known as BMI, or Body Mass Index.
What the Body Mass Index does is measure the amount of body fat you are carrying. It is a formula that calculates the ratio between your height and your weight.
Ready to calculate your own Body Mass Index? Here’s the formula: (pounds of weight / [inches of height]2) x 703
Let’s give an example so it’s easier to understand. If you weigh 170 pounds and you’re five feet, six inches tall (which is also 66 inches), then you can calculate: (170 ยท 662) x 703 = 27.4. In this example, your Body Mass Index is 27.4.
What does that mean?
In general, a healthy Body Mass Index for most adults is in a range between BMI 18.5 and BMI 24.9. So in the example, above, the BMI of 27.4 classifies you as overweight.
The Body Mass Index should never be used as the sole indicator of how your weight affects your health. Athletes, for example, can carry more weight on their frames because their weight is composed of muscle which is heavier, healthier, and more attractive than fat!
In addition, you may have other weight-related issues that are compromising your health and may make you a good candidate for weight-loss surgery even if your BMI does not put you in the obese category.
We can help you determine which BMI is right for you and work with you on a plan to reach it!
