Body Mass Index and its Origin: How it all Got Started
The most widely used measurement of obesity – the body mass index originated in 1835 by a Belgian researcher who created it as a method to calculate body volume.
Almost 200 years later, BMI is considered the best international standard for classifying safe and unsafe weight levels according to the World Health Organization.
Body Mass Index…just do the math
Even if you consider yourself mathematically challenged, figuring out your BMI is easy. All you need to do is take your weight in kilograms and divide it by your height in meters, squared.
Here’s an example:
If your weight is… 63.7 kilograms = 21.3
And your height is… 1.73 meters X 1.73 meters
Better still, why not use our free bmi calculator and let us do the calculating for you?
Once you’ve got your BMI, find out if your weight is in a healthy range by comparing it to this bmi chart:
If your BMI is…
- 18.5 or less…your weight is too low
- 18.5 to 24.9…your weight is healthy
- 25 to 29.9…you are overweight
- 30 and over… indicates obesity
Body Mass Index: an excellent benchmark, but there are exceptions…
Knowing your BMI is an excellent measure of total body fat, but in some cases it can give misleading results. For example, in very muscular athletic types it can overestimate body fat and in older adults who have lost muscle mass it can underestimate obesity.
One other situation where your BMI can be overstated is if you suffer from an illness that causes fluid retention.
No matter what, knowing your BMI is a good first step in raising awareness of healthy weight levels. But, there is another way to get a sense of your risk for obesity-related diseases…
Body Mass Index and Your Waist Measurement: The Best Combo of Information
According to the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, knowing your BMI as well as taking your waist circumference is the best way to measure whether you are at risk of developing obesity-related diseases.
When you are measuring your waist, here’s what to watch out for:
- For Men: a waist bigger than 40 inches
- For Women: bigger than 35 inches
If your waist measurement is bigger than the above numbers, experts say you are at risk of obesity-related diseases.
Knowing your Body Mass Index is an Important First Step…
Have fun with our free bmi calculator. Take a look and see where you’re at on the bmi chart but always keep in mind that it is only one snapshot of your health.
If you’d like to know more about how to reach your healthy weight and maintain a safe body mass index, please CLICK HERE to take our complimentary survey.
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