This Body Mass Index calculator uses your height and weight to calculate your BMI.
| Below 18.5 | Underweight |
| 18.5 - 24.9 | Normal |
| 25 - 29.9 | Overweight |
| 30.0 + | Obese |
This calculater uses the standard BMI formula developed by Belgium Statistician Adolphe Quetelet approximately 150 years ago:
BMI = (Height x 703)/(Weight2)BMI doesn't consider any factors other than height or weight. This means individual with a more muscle mass (like athletes and bodybuilders) may have a higher BMI and may fall into the overweight or obese categories despite having a low percentage of body fat.
Although BMI doesn't measure body fat or body composition, research has shown it is moderately correlated with levels of body fat. Individuals with a high BMI are more likelt to have a higher level of body fatness. BMI is used as a screening tool, not to diagnose fatness or health, but it does positively correlate with various metabolic disorders and diseases.
Even if people have the same BMI, their level of body fatness may differ.
While a person with a very high BMI is very likely to have high body fat, a moderately high BMI can indicate either elevated levels of body fat or more lean body mass.
- Women tend to have more body fat than men.
- Blacks tend to have less body fat than do Whites
- Asians tend to have more body fat than do Whites
- At the same BMI, the elderly, on average, tend to have more body fat than younger adults
- At the same BMI, athletes have less body fat than non-athletes
According to the CDC, there is a correlation between a high BMI and the likelihood of developing a health condition, and this means more risk for insurance companies. Individuals with a high BMI are often charged higher premiums.