Calculate Body Mass Index -BMI

Learning to calculate your body mass index (BMI) is not difficult but what is important is interpreting and realizing the significance of the results. 

Not everyone is familiar with the phrase, Body Mass Index (or BMI). Put very simply, your body mass index, or BMI as many refer to it, is a measurement of your body fat based solely on your height and weight. Gender is not a factor nor is it taken into consideration.

We all know that being overweight puts a lot of strain on the heart and is a major predecessor to many different health issues.

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To know what you current BMI is, enter the required information below and a numerical figure will be generated.

If you fall into a category that you are not very happy with, please do not stress out. These scores, by themselves, have some very big limitations and can be very misleading.

If you want a good understanding of where you stand as it relates to your health, weight and body fat, there are 2 other key measures that have to be taken into consideration. The 2nd measure you need to take into consideration is your waist circumference. The 3rd important measure you need to factor into the equation is additional risk factors.

When measuring your waist circumference, place a measuring tape snugly around your midsection and make sure that it goes over your naval (bellybutton). For men, that number should be below 40 inches (101.6 centimeters) and for women, it should be below 35 inches (88.9 centimeters).

This number is a good indicator of your abdominal fat and a good predictor of your risk for developing obesity related diseases and ailments. Once you get above 40 (for men) and 35 (for women), your risk really starts to climb.

The 3rd key measure that we need to look at is any additional risk factors you may have in your life.

They include:

• high blood pressure (hypertension)
• high LDL-cholesterol ("bad" cholesterol)
• low HDL-cholesterol ("good" cholesterol)
• high triglycerides
• high blood glucose (sugar)
• family history of premature heart disease
• physical inactivity
• cigarette smoking

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If you fall into the category of being overweight or above and have at least 2 or more of the risk factors listed above, I highly recommend that you start shedding fat and losing weight immediately. Make sure to speak with your doctor regarding your plans.

If you fall into the overweight category but do not have a waist measurement over 40 inches (for men) / 35 inches (for women) and do not have 2 or more additional risk factors, your situation is not as urgent but it still requires attention. In this scenario, you still want to lose some weight over the long term but your main short term focus should be not gaining any additional weight.

If you do not have any of the additional risk factors listed above and are just looking at your BMI and waist circumference, the following chart gives you a good representation of your risk factor to obesity related diseases and illnesses:

Limitations

BMI is used as a screening tool to identify possible weight problems for adults. However, BMI is not a diagnostic tool.

One of the biggest concerns I have with the BMI scoring system is that it does not take into consideration muscle mass or your overall body type. Most bodybuilders (especially the shorter ones), will almost always fall into the overweight or above category because of all the muscle mass they are carrying.

Your body mass index score can also be very misleading if you are elderly. If you are over 65, normal would be in the 25 to 27 range. Having a higher than “normal” BMI at this stage in your life can help protect you from osteoporosis.

Your body mass index should be seen as a lose guideline and not used to make any major decisions regarding your health and fitness. For a much more accurate reading, have a skin fold test or a bio-electrical impedance analysis (BIA) done. These different procedures measure the total amount of body weight that is from fat on your body. The results are significantly more accurate than a BMI score and most gyms have the capability of performing one of these tests.

Please remember that obesity is now recognized as a major, independent risk factor for the development of heart disease. If you are overweight or obese, you can significantly reduce your risk for heart disease by successfully losing weight and fat and keeping it off.  

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