The higher your BMI, the higher your risk for certain diseases such as heart disease, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, gallstones, breathing problems (especially when sleeping), and certain cancers. BMI is an estimate of body fat and a good gauge of your risk for diseases that can occur with more body fat. Your body mass index is not about what weight you look the best at, it is what weight are you the healthiest with the energy stores your body needs, and the amount of tissue your organs must provide blood and oxygen to.īMI is a useful measure of overweight and obesity. While body mass index should not be used as a diagnostic tool, it is a good screening tool for identifying potential weight problems in adults. Because it does not directly measure your body fat, the results will not be as accurate as other measures. Though body mass index is a simple, easy, and inexpensive way to measure your body size and fat content, it is not perfect. Your joints, especially the feet, ankles, knees and hips are put under much more stress. Your organs are not designed to work this extra hard, on a sustained daily basis. Your body is under greater daily strain simply because of your weight. Many athletes will fall into this range, and while it is true that their conditioning is high, there is still a lot of “mass” for the body to pump blood and provide oxygen to.Ī body mass index greater or equal 30 is described as obese. If your BMI is between 25.0 and 29.9 you are considered overweight. Your body needs “meat on your bones”, to be able store energy. A BMI this low can indicate an undernourished individual.

Individuals with a body mass index under 18.5 are considered underweight. BMI can predict future weight-related issues including disease and even death, so it is a very helpful tool in screening for health risks and obesity. If you are concerned about your weight or body size, calculating your body mass index is a good place to start before heading to the doctor’s office. However, studies show strong correlations between BMI measurements and the results of more direct body fat measures. Some people refer to this as a normal BMI.īecause it measures excess weight and not actually excess fat, BMI is considered a surrogate measure of body fat. Most health organizations put a healthy BMI score between 18.5 and 25.0. The result typically in the range of 15 to 60 is known as the BMI or body mass index score. During pregnancy and lactation, a woman's body composition changes, so using BMI is not appropriate.įor more information, visit Health Canada's Canadian Guidelines for Body Weight Classification in Adults.The body mass index otherwise known as BMI, is a simple calculation using a person’s height and weight. Those with a lower muscle mass, such as children who have not completed their growth or the elderly who may be losing some muscle mass may have a lower BMI. Those with a higher muscle mass, such as athletes, may have a high BMI but not be at greater health risk. This is because BMI does not take into account whether the weight is carried as muscle or fat, just the number. Who shouldn't use a BMI calculatorīMI is not used for muscle builders, long distance athletes, pregnant women, the elderly or young children.

The formula is BMI = kg/m 2 where kg is a person’s weight in kilograms and m 2 is their height in metres squared.Ī BMI of 25.0 or more is overweight, while the healthy range is 18.5 to 24.9.

Body Mass Index is a simple calculation using a person’s height and weight.

Body mass index calculator for male