We’ll take a look first at the basic BMI calculation, then discuss interpreting the results for both adults and children. Just to clarify first of all, BMI stands for Body Mass Index and is a measure of the levels of body fat someone is carrying. One can then go on to determine how much body fat one has relative to everyone else, and the risk factors associated with being overweight or underweight.
Calculating Your BMI
The actual calculation for BMI in metric is BMI (in kg/m2) = weight in kg / height in m2. Just plug in accurate values for your height and weight and you’ve got your BMI.
How to figure out your BMI is not that difficult. The equation above as you can see is a quick and easy BMI formula that saves the bother of getting out your calculator.
What It All Means
Once you’ve got hold of a figure, you need to know what on earth it represents. For adults over 20 years of age, the classifications below will give you your answer.
- BMI under 18.5 – underweight
- BMI of 18.5 to 25 – normal
- BMI of 25 to 30 – overweight
- BMI of 30 or more – obese
These classifications are important because they tell you for example if you have a higher risk of developing a range of health issues such as heart disease, stroke, diabetes and some cancers. These have been shown to be more prevalent if your BMI is over 25, so when you fall in the overweight or obese categories.
So, How’s This Going To Help You Lose Weight
For most of us, simply knowing that you’re overweight or obese is going to have some motivational effect on you, perhaps leading to changes in diet and exercise routines to reduce the calorie intake and increase the calorie burn respectively.
For others, the issue may be a more complex one, and further assessments as to the cause of perhaps being overweight need to be determined. But in most of these cases too, a program can be created to compensate, holding the potential of bringing you back to normal levels.
Really, your BMI is just a good solid measure of fat levels, a starting point to doing something about it and nothing more. It course will also help to review BMI levels as they fall to hopefully provide a further motivational tool.
Doing Things Differently For Children And Teens
One final point. BMI is worked out in just the same was for those under 20 years of age. However, the results are looked at differently. This is because healthy body fat levels differ below 20 as compared with above. Not only that, different ages below 20, and indeed whether you are a boy or girl, will provide differing BMI levels that are seen as healthy or not.
A higher BMI will be seen as healthy for a 2 year old vs a 4 year old for example. 2 year old just carry that bit more fat.
As a result, a whole new set of charts and classifications need to be used for this demographic group.