Determining Your Body Mass Index
What is body mass index?
Determining how much you should weigh is not a simple matter of looking at an insurance height-weight chart, but includes considering the amount of bone, muscle, and fat in your body's composition. The amount of fat is the critical measurement.
A good indicator of how much fat you carry is the Body Mass Index (BMI). Although it is not a perfect measure, it gives a fairly accurate assessment of how much of your body is composed of fat.
To calculate your BMI using the English formula:
BMI can be calculated using pounds and inches.
BMI = (Weight in Pounds x 703) / (Height in Inches x Height in Inches)
For example, a person who weighs 165 pounds and is 5 feet 4 inches tall has a BMI of 28.
(165 lbs x 703) / (64 inches x 64 inches) = 28
To calculate your BMI using the Metric formula:
BMI can be calculated using kilograms and meters.
BMI = Weight in Kilograms / (Height in Meters x Height in Meters)
For example, a person who weighs 99.79 Kilograms and is 1.905 Meters tall has a BMI of 27.5.
99.79 Kg / (1.905 Meters x 1.905 Meters)= 27.5
A BMI between 25 and 29 is considered overweight. Anything over 30 is considered obese.
Publication Source:
Hurst's The Heart. Fuster, Valentin. 2001, 10th edition, p. 2289.
Online Medical Reviewer:
Akin, Louise RN, BSN
Online Medical Reviewer:
Brown, Carolyn RN, MN, CCRN, CNS
Date Last Reviewed:
10/9/2009
Date Last Modified:
12/3/2008