What Is BMI (Body Mass Index) Used For?
What is BMI? Your body mass index is a number used to find how close you are to a healthy weight. The categories range from “underweight” to “normal” to “overweight” and up to “obese” based on long term health risks seen over years of research. Basically if you are in a category that is not marked as “normal” you have a greater chance of ending up with a chronic disease such as heart disease, diabetes, or even some forms of cancer.
Does the number adjust depending on whether you are male or female? This calculation does not differentiate by age or gender. The lines are pretty clear… at any age, and regardless if you are male or female, if you are 5 feet 6 inches tall and weigh over 170 pounds, you should lose some weight.
How does it take into account someone who is very fit and weighs more because he has a lot of muscle? This is actually about the only downfall of the BMI calculation. In the case of someone who has a lot of muscle (or even in the case of an elderly person who may appear in the normal range but actually have too little muscle mass) it must be a subjective call by the person and their own physician. There are further tests which could be pursued, such as determining actual percent of body fat to see if the suggested range is realistic for the individual.
What do I do once I know my number? This is an important number not only to know, but to reassess each year. Like your blood pressure number and your cholesterol numbers, it can be a predictor of your future health risks. If you are in ideal range, keep up the good work and re-check your number in a year or two. If not, see a health professional–such as a registered dietitian–to see what changes you can make to get yourself to a healthy range.
What if the chart says I need to lose 60 pounds but I think I only need to lose 30 pounds? The normal range is certainly ’suggested’ and does always have exceptions. What’s most important is that you are close to a healthy weight which will reduce the tendency to develop diseases that could be prevented by changing your diet and exercise habits (thereby changing your weight). If you insist that a 30 pound weight loss is what would be best for you, no one would argue that you will be better off 30 pounds lighter than you are now…. so go for it!
Is the test always accurate? Since the calculation uses your weight and height, only, there is no chance of error except human error in the calculation.
How is BMI calculated? Technically, the calculation is your weight in kilograms divided by the square of your height in meters. While few of us can do this in our heads, it’s even more difficult for Americans who first have to calculate our weight into kilos from pounds, and our height into centimeters from inches–whew! How exhausting. Fortunately all you have to do is go to the home page on this site, click on the “diet tools” blue square (or the “weight loss tools” tab on top), then click on the tan BMI calculator man and just enter your height (in feet and inches) and your weight (in pounds)–no calculator needed! (or click on: http://www.you-on-a-diet.net/bmi-calculator.php)
Written by Laurie Beebe
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About The Author: Laurie Beebe has been a registered dietitian for 25 years and is certified in adult weight management. Laurie currently serves as a Related posts:
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