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What is BMI

Body Mass Index (BMI), or Quetelet index, is a measure of relative weight based on an individual's mass and height. It is defined as the individual's body mass divided by the square of their height – with the value universally being given in units of kg/m2.

BMI is used in a wide variety of contexts as a simple method to assess health of an individual as how much an individual's body weight differ from what is normal or desirable for a person of his or her height. BMI provides a simple numeric measure of a person's thickness or thinness, allowing health professionals to discuss overweight and underweight problems more objectively with their patients

The current value and its interpretation are - a BMI of 18.5 to 25 may indicate optimal weight, a BMI lower than 18.5 suggests the person is underweight, a number above 25 may indicate the person is overweight, a number above 30 suggests the person is obese.

Thought the BMI scale is assigned different categories in different countries, the general BMI chart for reference is as below:
Category BMI range – kg/m2
Very severely underweight less than 15
Severely underweight from 15.0 to 16.0
Underweight from 16.0 to 18.5
Normal (healthy weight) from 18.5 to 25
Overweight from 25 to 30
Obese Class I (Moderately obese) from 30 to 35
Obese Class II (Severely obese) from 35 to 40
Obese Class III (Very severely obese) over 40


BMI for Children:
BMI is used differently for children. It is calculated the same way as for adults, but then compared to typical values for other children of the same age. Instead of set thresholds for underweight and overweight, the BMI percentile allows comparison with children of the same sex and age. A BMI that is less than the 5th percentile is considered underweight and above the 95th percentile is considered obese for children’s and young adult up to 20 years of age. People under 20 with a BMI between the 85th and 95th percentile are considered to be overweight.


Also See:
»   BMI Calculator (Body Mass Index)
»   BMR Calculator (daily calorie requirement)
»   Ideal Weight Calculator (for Adult)
»   Weight Management (for Adult)

Baby Health
»  Vaccination schedule for Indian children
»  Baby height chart
»  Baby weight chart
»  Baby height and weight chart
»  Infant height and weight chart
»  Adult DHA
»  Children DHA
»  Baby records chart for Boy child
»  Baby records chart for Girl child
»  Skin care tips for your baby
»  How to avoid kid wetting bed
»  Common Cold and Viral fevers
»  Urinary tract infection and stool soiling
»  Sleep problem in New-born
»  Tips on baby teething
»  Tips for keeping your baby healthy

Adult Health
»  What is BMI
»  BMI Calculator (Body Mass Index)
»  BMR Calculator (Find daily calorie requirement)
»  Ideal Weight Calculator (for Adult)
»  Weight Management (for Adult)
»  Body Fat Calculator
»  Waist to Hip Ratio Calculator
»  Ideal weight for Men
»  Ideal weight for Women
»  What is healthy weight
»  Weight loss tips
»  Underweight
»  Normal Weight
»  Slight Overweight
»  Overweight
»  Obese
»  What is Body Fat percentage (Body Fat Index)
»  Body Fat Index Calculator (Body Fat percentage)
»  Overweight Treatment
»  Underweight Treatment
»  Obesity Treatment
»  Calories burned in different activities
»  Calories in food (Find calories in common food items)
»  Blood sugar conversion
»  Volume to weight