Industry jargon not your thing? Our glossary will enlighten you!
The body mass index (BMI) is a measure used to assess a person's body mass based on their height and weight. The BMI is calculated by dividing the body weight in kilograms by the square of the height in meters. The resulting figure gives a rough estimate of whether a person is underweight, normal weight, overweight or obese.
The formula for calculating the BMI is:
BMI=Weight in kg(Height in m)2BMI=(Height in m)2Weight in kg
For example, a person who weighs 70 kg and is 1.75 m tall would have a BMI of about 22.9, which is within the range for normal weight
The World Health Organization (WHO) classifies BMI into the following categories:
Under 18.5: Underweight
18.5 - 24.9: Normal weight
25 - 29.9: overweight
30 and over: Obesity (adiposity)
Health assessment: BMI is often used as a simple and quick indicator for assessing health status. A BMI that is too high or too low can indicate potential health risks.
Limitations: BMI does not take into account the distribution of muscle and fat mass in the body. Therefore, it can lead to misleading conclusions for very muscular individuals or those with a high bone structure.
Not a sole indicator of health: While BMI can provide useful information, it should not be used as the sole indicator of health or fitness.
Medical assessment: Physicians often use BMI as one of several tools to assess a patient's overall health.
Public health: BMI is used in public health research to analyze patterns of overweight and obesity in the population.
Personal health monitoring: Individuals can use BMI to keep track of their own body mass and make lifestyle changes if necessary.
Factors not taken into account: BMI does not directly measure body fat and does not take into account factors such as muscle mass, bone structure and general body composition.
One size fits all: BMI offers a standardized approach that does not take into account individual differences in physique and health.
Yes, but special BMI tables are used for children and adolescents that take age and gender into account.