A Body Mass Index Calculator is a tool used to assess a person's body weight in relation to their height. It calculates BMI by dividing weight in kilograms by height in metres square. This measurement helps indicate if someone is underweight, normal weight, overweight, or obese, aiding in health assessments. Let’s breeze through this article and learn about the crucial details associated with BMI calculation and how the right calculator can help.  

Body weight alone may not be the best parameter to assess one's health. For instance, two people of the same age may have the same body weight but may not be equally healthy. For a tall person, a certain weight may be normal, whereas the same weight for a short person may be problematic. That is where the Body Mass Index comes into the picture.

Body Mass Index (BMI) is an estimated measure of your body fat. It is often used by healthcare providers as a tool to evaluate your body mass to evaluate any risk factors associated with high body mass, like diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, and stroke. BMI is not an accurate measure of how fat an individual is and is only a rough estimation of health. 

Your body mass comprises your muscles, fat, bones, and all your internal organs and components. BMI uses the ratio of your total body mass to your height as an estimation of your body fat content. This helps give an approximate idea of whether you fall in the healthy weight range or not. Healthcare providers use BMI as a screening tool to assess the likelihood of developing other chronic metabolic conditions. 

The World Health Organization (WHO) provides recommended body weight classifications based on Body Mass Index (BMI) values for adults aged 20 or older. These classifications serve as indicators of health status regarding weight. Severe thinness is defined as a BMI below 16, indicating a significant lack of body fat and potential health risks. 

Moderate thinness falls within the BMI range of 16 to 17, followed by mild thinness from 17 to 18.5. A BMI of 18.5 to 25 is considered normal, reflecting a healthy weight range. 

Beyond this, individuals enter the overweight category with a BMI of 25 to 30, followed by obese classifications: Class I (30-35), Class II (35-40), and Class III (over 40).

You can find out your Body Mass Index by using a BMI calculator, such as the one available on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s website. 

You have to ensure the parameters are in the correct units. Enter your weight in kilograms and height in metres, or weight in pounds and height in feet and inches.

Here is the revised range of reference of BMI for a South Asian population for you to understand if you are at a healthy weight or not.

Having a BMI less than 18.5 may indicate that an individual is more prone to the following. 

A higher BMI puts one at more risk for the following. 

BMI is not an accurate tool for risk assessment. There are multiple other factors that have established direct causative relation to the above disorders that take precedence over BMI. Here it is only used as a screening tool. Not every individual with a high BMI has a high body fat percentage.

There are several conditions in which BMI may not be an accurate measure. Here are some reasons why. 

Disclaimer: The content on this page is generic and shared only for informational and explanatory purposes. Please consult a doctor before making any health-related decisions.