Calculate your body mass index (BMI) using the calculator below to find out if you are overweight or obese. We also provide a brief but comprehensive and scientifically based explanation of the advantages and limitations of BMI below:
Easily calculate your BMI:
Body mass index (BMI) is a simple measure that takes into account your height and weight to determine whether you are at a healthy weight. Although this measure is not perfect, it can be useful for setting a goal (e.g., achieving a BMI of 24.9). The BMI score is calculated by dividing your weight in kilograms by the square of your height in meters, so the result is given in kg/m2. For example, a person weighing 70 kg and measuring 1.65 m tall has a BMI of 25.7.
So, on the calculator, you would type: 70 / 1.65 / 1.65.
Interpretation of results: BMI (in kg/m2):.
- less than 18.5: underweight
- 18.5 to 24.9: healthy weight
- 25 to 29.9: overweight
- 30 to 34.9: moderate obesity (class I)
- 35 to 39.9: severe obesity (class II)
- 40 and above: morbid obesity (class III)
Limitations of BMI:
BMI is not a perfect indicator of body fat, particularly in very muscular individuals, and it does not take skeletal mass into account. Furthermore, BMI is not linearly associated with disease risk or mortality. In fact, it is mainly the amount of abdominal fat that determines cardiovascular risk, rather than the total amount of fat. It is therefore advisable to also measure your waist circumference, which gives a good estimate of abdominal fat mass.
BMI is an old measurement. It was proposed in the 19th century and was first used by insurers to estimate mortality risk. It is therefore primarily a descriptive index, but one that is currently used in a prescriptive manner. This becomes problematic when BMI is used to determine who can access drugs such as Ozempic or who can obtain reimbursement for them. Other methods should therefore be used, such as the Edmonton classification of obesity stages,(a) which uses several indicators to determine whether a person is obese. Ideally, direct measurements of body fat should be used.(b)
You can also purchase a bathroom scale that uses an electrical induction system to indicate your weight, body fat, and muscle mass (price: starting at 25 USD or UK£).
Also, you can measure your waist circumference, which is a good indicator of your amount of abdominal fat (and therefore your cardiovascular risk).
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References:
a) Canning KL, Brown RE, Wharton S, Sharma AM, Kuk JL. Edmonton Obesity Staging System Prevalence and Association with Weight Loss in a Publicly Funded Referral-Based Obesity Clinic. J Obes. 2015;2015:619734. doi: 10.1155/2015/619734. (Lien).
b) A. M. Prentice, S. A. Jebb. Beyond body mass index. Obesity Reviews. Volume 2, Issue 3, August 2001, Pages 141-147. (Lien). https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1467-789x.2001.00031.x