BMI is an estimation of body fat and is a good indication of disease risk associated with excess fat. You are more likely to develop certain diseases if your BMI is high, such as:
- Heart disease
- High blood pressure
- Type 2 diabetes
- Gallstones
- Breathing problems
- Certain cancers
The BMI does not directly measure body fat but is a reliable indicator of body fatness. BMI can screen for weight categories that may lead to health problems, but it is not diagnostic of an individual’s body fatness or health. Here’s what you need to know.
How Does Knowing Your BMI Benefit You?
There are many benefits to knowing your BMI. BMI can help you to:
- Determine if you are a healthy weight
- Find out if you are at risk for any weight-related health problems
- Set realistic weight-loss goals
- Monitor your weight-loss progress
- Determine if you need to lose weight
- Prevent weight-related health problems
If you have concerns about your weight or BMI, talk to your doctor. They can provide you with more information and help you to set realistic weight-loss goals.
How to Calculate Your BMI
You can find BMI calculators online. Calculating BMI using imperial values is as simple as following these steps:
- Take your weight in pounds and multiply it by 703.
- Calculate your height in inches and multiply it by itself
- Divide step 1’s figure by step 3’s figure.
This number is your BMI. Using the weight status section below, compare this BMI value to yours.
What Do Your BMI Results Mean?
After calculating your BMI, you can use the BMI categories below to interpret your results:
Underweight: If your BMI is less than 18.5, you are considered underweight. You may be at risk for certain health problems as a result.
Healthy weight: You have a healthy BMI if your BMI is between 18.5 to 24.9. As a result, you are less likely to encounter any weight-related health issues.
Overweight: A BMI of 25 to 29.9 indicates you are overweight. You are, therefore, at risk for certain health problems.
Obese: If your BMI is 30 or above, you qualify as obese. Consequently, this means that you are at risk for certain health problems.
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