How To Calculate BMI

What you’ll need to calculate: height in inches using a yardstick or measuring tape and your weight.  Pretty simple!

Body Mass Index Calculator

 What Is My BMI?  Understanding your calculation.

Now that you know your score, what does that number represent?  Here is the Chart to explain the ranges:

 What Is Healthy?

The healthy range is between 18.5 and 24.99.  This is the same for both men and women – there isn’t a separate BMI calculator for women and men.

It is important to remember that this is calculating your body MASS and not body FAT.  Most women will have more fat composition in than men.  This is not considered in your result.

Athletes may score in the Overweight to Moderately Obese range.  This is due to the fact that they simply weigh more.  They will typically not be in danger of complications or diseases related to obesity.

For most people, the risk of being moderately obese or over can lead to health problems such as heart disease, hypertension, joint discomfort, and the list goes on and on.  If you don’t want to be a frequent visitor to you health professional, you need to take action and get into a healthier range.  (See the end of the article for some tips!)

Body Mass Index (BMI) is a formula that was developed sometime between 1830 and 1850 by Adolphe Quetelet.  Although it is widely used today to help people in gaining an understanding of how their weight stacks up to an average based on height, it has definite limitations.  Calculating body mass  is certainly a good estimate for those wanting to have an idea of what a healthy range might be, if they are under weight, over weight, or obese.  This isn’t a strict indicator of body fatness or body fat percentage.

BMI Calculator for Kids

To find body mass index for children, you simply use the same chart.  Children between 2 and 20 are rated on a percentile.

Here is a great calculator for kids from the CDC to see how your child may score.

Formula in Kilograms/Meters and Pounds/Inches

For inquiring minds, here is how it’s calculated:

BMI = MASS (kg) / HEIGHT (m)² 

= (MASS (lbs.) / HEIGHT (inches)² ) X 703

What to DO Next…

If you don’t like what you found, it’s time to take action.  There’s never been a better time than now!  One saying that that gets me going better than anything else when I’m stuck in a rut is: Do what you’ve always done and get what you’ve always got.  If you want to change, it will take change.

If you’re not sure where to start, make sure you check out our article on how to lose weight.  We have a great calorie calculator that will help you know how much you need to eat for slimming down, too.

And if you like what you’ve read here, sign up for our newsletter!  It’s a great way to stay encouraged and motivated.

About David Simpson

David Simpson is a writer, musician, fitness and wellness geek and the one behind SlimCotton.com. He lives in Lynden, Washington and is a very proud papa!