Find Your BMI Number Today!

BMI (short for Body Mass Index) is intended to be a rough estimate of the amount of body fat you are carrying. Technically, it’s a ratio calculated using your height and weight as the starting numbers. While it is just an estimate, and does not directly reflect the amount of fatty tissue in your body, your BMI number offers a reasonable reflection of how much fat is in your body. It’s very simple to get your number either by computing by hand, or using a BMI calculator. A quick reading will allow you to look up your number in a chart and determine which classification you fall into, and whether you need to make some changes to how you eat, and how often you exercise.

How to compute your BMI

If you don’t have access to a BMI calculator, it’s pretty easy to calculate your BMI by hand:

Here’s the formula: weight/[height]² * 703

In plain english, you calculate your BMI this way:We’ll use an example height of 5 feet, 6 inches, and an example weight of 175 pounds.

1) Take your height in inches, and multiply it by itself.  So if you are 5 foot 6, your height in inches is 66.  Multiply 66 by itself.  66 x66 = 4356.

2) Now take your weight in pounds and divide it by the number in step #1.  Using our example:  175 / 4356 = 0.04 (rounded to the nearest hundreth)

3) Finally, take the number from step 2 and multiply it by 703:   703 * 0.04 = 28.12    This is the BMI number using our example: 28.12.

Ok, I have my BMI Score: What does it Mean?

This chart shows the various weight status categories that you fit into based on your BMI score:

Using our example, the BMI score was 28.12, so this person falls into the “Overweight” category, and will need to make some dietary and exercise changes to get back into the normal range.

 What if my BMI number is in the Overweight or Obese Category?

If your BMI number reads above 25, you will need to make some changes, but it’s not a reason to panic or worry excessively. Depending on your specific situation, you may only need to make some mild adjustments, like starting a 3-times-a-week gym routine and switching to a lower fat diet.  Additionally, your BMI is just a high-level indicator, and not a definitive  conclusion that you have a severe problem.   If your reading is high, you might want to read more about weight and health risks, and schedule an appointment with your doctor to discuss an action plan.

Does my Doctor know about BMI?

Doctors use BMI scores extensively as a way to screen their patients for potential weight-related health risks.  Since it’s easy to calculate, they will typically perform a BMI calculation on every patient, and then incorporate further testing if they encounter a number outside of the healthy weight range.  Other techniques they can use include a similar measurement that leverages waist circumference and height, or measuring your fat levels with folded skin (remember the Special-K Cereal “pinch an inch” commercials?).
There are also fancier tests like using electricity or x-rays to determine the amount of fatty tissue in your body, but these are rarely used as they tend to be costly and require specialized equipment and training.

Is a BMI calcuation always accurate?

For most people the BMI number does an excellent job of assessing overall health risk.  While it can read slightly high or low based on gender, age, or ethnic background, the number is not usually that far off the mark.   The only significant condition that triggers a high reading is extreme muscularity, such as with body builders or professional athletes.

Conclusions

Because of it’s simplicity, the BMI number is an excellent tool to perform a quick assessment of your current risk for weight-related health risks like diabetes, cardiovascular complications, high-blood pressure and other potentially serious diseases and conditions.  It also gives you a reliable measure of success to track after making lifestyle changes to your diet and exercise plans.  It’s highly recommended that everyone know their BMI score, and that they enact plans to keep theirs within a healthy range.