BODY MASS INDEX
BMI can be used to screen for weight categories that may lead to health problems
BMI is a measurement of a person's leanness or corpulence based on their height and weight, and is intended to quantify tissue mass. Specifically, the value obtained from the calculation of BMI is used to categorize whether a person is underweight, normal weight, overweight, or obese depending on what range the value falls between. Being overweight or underweight can have significant health effects, so while BMI is an imperfect measure of healthy body weight, it is a useful indicator of whether any additional testing or action is required. Refer to the table below to see the different categories based on BMI that is used by the calculator.
This is the World Health Organization's (WHO) recommended body weight based on BMI values for adults. It is used for both men and women, age 18 or older.
