Body Mass Index, find out your BMI using this formula

Is your Body Mass Index something you should be paying attention to?

This page shows you the formula and BMI scale

B M I is a way to measure your body fat, based on a calculation of weight and height.

Use the formula below to calculate yours.

Imperial

Weight in pounds * 703 / Height in inches * Height in inches

= BMI

Wight in kilograms / Height in meters * Height in meters

= BMI

BMI Scale

What to make of this information

So now you have calculated your BMI and checked it on the scale, should you pay attention to it? That depends on your build, for example I am 6 foot 2 inches and about 202 pounds my BMI is 26 which is considered overweight according to the scale, but my body fat percentage is around 9%, so I know not to pay too much attention to this scale.

Muscle is heavier than fat, anybody that has more than average muscle mass should not pay too much attention to your BMI.

For everybody else it's a useful guideline.

A score of less than 18.5 probably means you're not eating enough, you'll probably suffer from low energy levels and a reduced immune system, increasing chance of infection and disease.

Leave this body mass index page and return to the healthy weight chart page

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