BMI Calculator
Now, The Question is What is BMI Calculator ?
It is Body Mass Index. BMI(Body Mass Index) is a value used to get a general sense of person’s overall mass and is calculated using person’s height and weight. It is more often used than weight alone to determine if an individual is under-weight ,normal , over-weight or obese. The following two equations can used to calculate BMI depending on the units used for height(meters vs inches) and weight(kilograms vs pounds).
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Though BMI is often used to asses for excess weight ,it is by no means a perfect representation of a person’s body fat percentage. For example: an individual can have a higher than normal BMI but have a normal body fat percentage if they have higher than average muscle mass because excess muscle contributes to a higher weight. the following table shows how different ranges of BMIs are often categorised into underweight, normal weight, overweight and obese.
Classification of overweight and Obesity of Body Mass Index(BMI)
| CATEGORIES | BMI |
|---|---|
| Underweight | < 18.5 |
| Normal Weight | 18.5 – 24.9 |
| Overweight | 25.0 – 29.9 |
| Obesity(Class I) | 30.0 – 34.9 |
| Obesity (Class II) | 35.0 – 39.9 |
| Obesity(Class III) | ≥ 40.0 |
Since BMI is not a perfect representation of a person’s body fat percentage, other measurements like waist circumference are often used to better assess for unhealthy excess weight as it pertains to body fat.Despite not being a perfect representation of healthy and unhealthy weight, BMI is very important value because it helps health professionals identify people who are at higher risk of developing illnesses like diabetes, hypertension, dyslipidemia (high Cholesterol), liver disease, and some cancers.[3] In general, as BMI increases so too does a person’s risk of developing those previously stated illnesses.Additionally, regularly calculating a person’s BMI can also be used to help track changes in a person’s body mass over time.