A Quick Guide to Body Mass Index (bmi)

Body Mass Index (BMI) is the most commonly used measure of healthy weight range in the world. It is certainly not the best method however it gives a quick, rough guideline if someone is overweight or not. BMI is a calculation that takes into account the weight you should be based on your height.

A BMI measurement of between 18.5 to 25 indicates a weight in the optimal range. Values above 25 indicate being overweight and over 30 indicates being obese. Also values below 17 can be symptomatic of anorexia or other eating disorders. The main thing to be concerned with though, is falling in the healthy weight range, which is 18.5 to 25.

Given that BMI is purely a weight for height measurement, it fails to take into account the frame of the person. In this case very muscular or bigger boned people could have BMI’s that are suggestive of being overweight when in fact they are a normal weight.

BMI is fantastic for a quick broad reading on your current weight situation. You can calculate your BMI by one of many BMI calculators on the web. These BMI calculators will give you your BMI in seconds and explain how to interpret your results. However, if you are after more in depth analysis, you should look at some weight charts which take into account frame size. Another alternative is to look at body fat %. This can be more time consuming than BMI but will give a much more accurate reading as to how healthy your weight is.

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