BMI Calculator
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BMI is an acronym for Body Mass Index, an indicator of the amount of fat stored in the human body. It provides a measure of the appropriateness of your weight to your height, based on health issues known to arise as a result of a BMI that is too low or too high.
The BMI formula and its name were invented by different people, living in different centuries. The BMI formula was developed in the 1830s by Adolphe Quetelet, a Belgian mathematician, and social statistician. He used his skills in calculus and statistics to analyze the relationship between height and weight in populations and formulated what was known for 140 years as the Quetelet Index. In 1972 the American biologist and physiologist Ancel Keys published a paper endorsing the validity of the index. In the process, he renamed it and popularised it as the Body Mass Index.
BMI is important as it is able to predict, with considerable accuracy, mortality, and morbidity rates in populations. What this means is that BMI is not only able to predict the rates at which people within a given population or group will die and suffer disease, but it is able to predict the incidence of the different types of diseases which occur in the population and which cause those deaths. However, as Adolphe Quetelet (see ‘Who invented BMI?’ above) and Ancel Keys stressed, BMI’s predictive abilities apply to populations only, and not to individuals within it.
BMI is calculated using only the variables of weight and height. Your BMI is equal to your weight in kilograms divided by your height in meters squared. You can also calculate your BMI using imperial units, in which case your BMI is equal to your weight in pounds divided by your height in inches squared, multiplied by 703.
The calculation of BMI can be used for males and non-pregnant females between the ages of 18 and 65. Although BMI is calculated for children in exactly the same way as for adults, the results are used in an entirely different way, and for that reason a standard BMI calculator should not be used for those under the age of 18. Also, the physiology of elderly people differs from other adults (due to factors such as muscle wasting and height reduction), and consequently, BMI calculations should not be made for that group. BMI calculations are also unsuitable for those who have developed significant amounts of muscle mass through physical exercise, as the results will tend to indicate higher levels of body fat than is actually the case.
You can calculate your BMI right here.
For adults, BMI classifications do not depend on age or sex.
Yes, BMI is officially recognized by the World Health Organisation, and it is endorsed by a wide range of government agencies and medical organizations throughout the world. This official recognition has led to BMI being used extensively in both the public and private sectors in all developed countries.
Yes, BMI is used by doctors from general practice through to the specialist level. Its use in the medical field is not limited to doctors but extends to a wide range of health professionals including nurses, dieticians, nutritionists, epidemiologists, and research scientists.
Yes, BMI is used by life and health insurers when assessing applications for life, health, trauma, income protection, and permanent disability insurance. On its own, it can act as a trigger point for requesting medical examinations or tests, but it is more often used in combination with other health factors and particular health conditions.
