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Body Mass Index

Last modified by
on
Mar 4, 2025, 7:44:08 PM
Created by
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Jan 11, 2014, 5:33:19 PM
`BMI = "w" / "h" ^2`
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`"(h) Height"`
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`"(w) Weight"`
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Health and Fitness Physiology Anatomy
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The Body Mass Index (BMI) calculator computes one's body mass index using their weight and height.

INSTRUCTIONS: Choose units and enter the following:

  • (h) Person's Height
  • (w) Person's Weight

BMI: The calculator returns the Body Mass Index (BMI).

Related Calculators:

The Math / SCIENCE

The body mass index (BMI), or Quetelet index, is a measure of relative size based on the mass and height of an individual.  The formula for BMI is as follows:

              BMI = height / weight2

where:

  • BMI is the body mass index
  • height is in meters and 
  • weight is in kilograms.

The calculator makes the unit conversions and then computes the index in kilograms and meters.  It also rounds to the nearest tenth.

Wikipedia (wikipedia.org/wiki/Boddy_mass_index) list the following interpretations for BMI.

General Interpretation:

Category BMI (kg/m2) BMI Prime
  from to from to
Very severely underweight   15   0.60
Severely underweight 15 16 0.60 0.64
Underweight 16 18.5 0.64 0.74
Normal (healthy weight) 18.5 25 0.74 1.0
Overweight 25 30 1.0 1.2
Obese Class I (Moderately obese) 30 35 1.2 1.4
Obese Class II (Severely obese) 35 40 1.4 1.6
Obese Class III (Very severely obese) 40   1.6  

International Interpretations:

 

The Hospital Authority of Hong Kong recommends the use of the following BMI ranges:[17]

Category BMI (kg/m2)
  from to
Underweight   18.5
Normal Range 18.5 23
Overweight—At Risk 23 25
Overweight—Moderately Obese 25 30
Overweight—Severely Obese 30  

Japan Society for the Study of Obesity (2000):[18]

Category BMI (kg/m2)
  from to
Low   18.5
Normal 18.5 25
Obese (Level 1) 25 30
Obese (Level 2) 30 35
Obese (Level 3) 35 40
Obese (Level 4) 40  

Sinagpore

 
Health Risk BMI (kg/m2)
Risk of developing problems such as nutritional deficiency and osteoporosis under 18.5
Low Risk (healthy range) 18.5 to 23
Moderate risk of developing heart disease, high blood pressure, stroke, diabetes 23 to 27.5
High risk of developing heart disease, high blood pressure, stroke, diabetes over 27.5

The index was devised by Adolphe Quetelet during the course of developing what he called "social physics", between 1830 and 1850.[1] The BMI for a person is defined as their body mass divided by the square of their height—with the value universally being given in units of kg/m2; however, vCalc allows the user to use other units via the pull-down menu.  

See Also

Reference

  • Wikipedia - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Body_mass_index
This equation, Body Mass Index, is used in 2 pages
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