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NetWellness provides the highest quality health information and education services created and evaluated by faculty of our partner universities.
Friday, November 20, 2009
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NetWellness provides the highest quality health information and education services created and evaluated by faculty of our partner universities.
Friday, November 20, 2009
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The Body Mass Index (BMI) is a formula that defines average relative weight for height in people older than 20 years. It is easy to calculate, inexpensive and does not require any special equipment. A BMI below 18.5 is considered underweight, 18.5 to 24.9 is normal, 25 to 29.9 is overweight, and 30 or above is considered obese.
A high or low BMI result can indicate a potential risk for health problems and chronic disease. A low BMI is indicative of malnutrition, which may be observed in anorexia nervosa or cancer. A BMI above 25 is correlated with higher risk for chronic diseases such as diabetes, heart disease and high blood pressure. However, there are exceptions. For example, a football player may be 6' tall and weigh 230 pounds. His BMI is 31, which is considered obese. However, muscle weighs more than fat. The football player is probably very muscular, which accounts for his high BMI. The BMI does not measure body composition.
Fill in your weight in pounds and height in feet and inches in the boxes below to calculate your BMI.
Weight: 140 pounds
Height: 5'5" (65 inches)
140 x 705 = 98,700
98,700 ÷ 65 ÷ 65 = BMI (23.3) = Normal
The BMI Calculator is also available from the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute.
A measure that does measure body composition is the waist circumference. The presence of excess fat around the abdomen is another predictor of risk for chronic illness. An individual may have a normal BMI, but still be at risk for health problems because of excessive abdominal fat around the waist. A waist circumference of greater than 35 inches in women, and greater than 40 inches in men indicates a high waist circumference.
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Lisa Cicciarello Andrews, MEd, RD, LD Adjunct Faculty College of Nursing University of Cincinnati |
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Please note: only your personal physician or other health professional you consult can best advise you on matters of your health based on your medical history, your family medical history, your medication history, and how information from any of these databases may apply to you. Neither University of Cincinnati (NetWellness) nor any party involved in creating, producing or delivering this web site shall be liable for any damages arising out of access to or use of this web site, or any errors or omissions in the content thereof. (More) 
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