BMI = Mass of person / (height)2
where, Mass in Kilograms(Kg), height in meters(m)
Body mass index (BMI) is a measure of body fat based on height and weight that applies to adult men and women. View the BMI tables or use the tool below to compute yours.
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 20 or older.
BMI is a measurement of a person's leanness or corpulence based on their height and weight, and is intended to quantify tissue mass. It is widely used as a general indicator of whether a person has a healthy body weight for their height. 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. These ranges of BMI vary based on factors such as region and age, and are sometimes further divided into subcategories such as severely underweight or very severely obese. 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 are used by the calculator.
Stroke
Gallbladder disease
Low quality of life
Body pains and difficulty with certain physical functions
High blood pressure
Generally, an increased risk of mortality compared to those with a healthy BMI
Sleep apnea and breathing problems
Mental illnesses such as clinical depression, anxiety, and others
Malnutrition, vitamin deficiencies, anemia (lowered ability to carry blood vessels)
A decrease in immune function
Potential complications as a result of surgery
Growth and development issues, particularly in children and teenagers
Although BMI is a widely used and useful indicator of healthy body weight, it does have its limitations. BMI is only an estimate that cannot take body composition into account. Due to a wide variety of body types as well as distribution of muscle, bone mass, and fat, BMI should be considered along with other measurements rather than being used as the sole method for determining a person's healthy body weight.