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Understanding Your Body Mass Index (BMI)

The Body Mass Index (BMI) is a widely used screening tool that helps assess whether a person has a healthy body weight in proportion to their height. It's a simple calculation that provides a quick indicator of potential weight-related health risks for adults.

How is BMI Calculated?

The BMI calculation uses a straightforward formula:

  • Metric System: BMI = weight (kg) / (height (m))^2
  • Imperial System: BMI = (weight (lbs) / (height (inches))^2) * 703

Our calculator below allows you to easily compute your BMI using either metric or imperial units.

What Do Your BMI Results Mean?

BMI categories are standardized by the World Health Organization (WHO) for adults aged 20 and over:

  • Underweight: Less than 18.5
  • Normal weight: 18.5 – 24.9
  • Overweight: 25.0 – 29.9
  • Obesity: 30.0 or greater

It's important to remember that BMI is a screening tool, not a diagnostic one. It doesn't directly measure body fat or account for factors like muscle mass, bone density, overall body composition, or ethnic differences. For example, a very muscular athlete might have a high BMI but very little body fat, while an elderly person with low muscle mass might have a normal BMI but a higher percentage of body fat.

Limitations of BMI

While useful, BMI has limitations:

  • It may overestimate body fat in athletes and people with a muscular build.
  • It may underestimate body fat in older persons and others who have lost muscle mass.
  • It does not differentiate between fat and muscle.
  • It doesn't consider fat distribution (e.g., abdominal fat is riskier than fat on hips).

Always consult with a healthcare professional for a comprehensive assessment of your health and weight status.

How to Use the BMI Calculator

Using our BMI calculator is simple:

  1. Select your preferred unit system (Metric or Imperial).
  2. Enter your current weight in the designated field.
  3. Enter your current height in the designated field.
  4. Click the "Calculate BMI" button.

Your calculated BMI and its corresponding category will be displayed instantly.

Example Calculation:

Let's say a person weighs 70 kg and is 175 cm tall (Metric System):

  • Height in meters = 175 cm / 100 = 1.75 m
  • BMI = 70 / (1.75 * 1.75) = 70 / 3.0625 = 22.86

This BMI of 22.86 falls into the "Normal weight" category.

Another example: A person weighs 180 lbs and is 70 inches tall (Imperial System):

  • BMI = (180 / (70 * 70)) * 703 = (180 / 4900) * 703 = 0.03673 * 703 = 25.82

This BMI of 25.82 falls into the "Overweight" category.

BMI Calculator

function updateLabels() { var metricSelected = document.getElementById('metricUnits').checked; var weightLabel = document.getElementById('weightLabel'); var heightLabel = document.getElementById('heightLabel'); var weightInput = document.getElementById('weightInput'); var heightInput = document.getElementById('heightInput'); if (metricSelected) { weightLabel.textContent = 'Weight (kg):'; heightLabel.textContent = 'Height (cm):'; weightInput.placeholder = 'e.g., 70'; heightInput.placeholder = 'e.g., 175'; } else { weightLabel.textContent = 'Weight (lbs):'; heightLabel.textContent = 'Height (inches):'; weightInput.placeholder = 'e.g., 150'; heightInput.placeholder = 'e.g., 68'; } } function calculateBMI() { var weightInput = document.getElementById('weightInput'); var heightInput = document.getElementById('heightInput'); var bmiResultDiv = document.getElementById('bmiResult'); var metricSelected = document.getElementById('metricUnits').checked; var weight = parseFloat(weightInput.value); var height = parseFloat(heightInput.value); if (isNaN(weight) || isNaN(height) || weight <= 0 || height <= 0) { bmiResultDiv.innerHTML = 'Please enter valid positive numbers for weight and height.'; return; } var bmi; var category; if (metricSelected) { // Height in cm, convert to meters var height_m = height / 100; bmi = weight / (height_m * height_m); } else { // Imperial: weight in lbs, height in inches bmi = (weight / (height * height)) * 703; } bmi = bmi.toFixed(2); // Round to 2 decimal places if (bmi = 18.5 && bmi = 25.0 && bmi <= 29.9) { category = 'Overweight'; } else { category = 'Obese'; } bmiResultDiv.innerHTML = '

Your BMI: ' + bmi + '

Category: ' + category + ''; } // Initialize labels on page load document.addEventListener('DOMContentLoaded', function() { updateLabels(); });

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