BMI Calculator

The BMI (body mass index) is a measure of your healthy weightfor your height. Use the BMI calculator to assess for the parents in your home.

For children, visit Weight Concern's Child page and the young people's Body Mass Index (BMI) calculation calculator. Imperial

This calculator should be employed to measure the weight of adults (pregnant or lactating ladies should not rely on these BMI readings) however, no action should be taken based on its values apart from consulting an appropriate professional such as a physician.

The calculator will give you some idea of what your weight is in relation to the norm for values. Body Mass Index (or BMI) is calculated as you weight (in kilograms) divided by the square of your height (in metres) or BMI = Kg/M2.

Is Body Mass Index reliable?

Your BMI, or Body Mass Index, is an indication of your weight in relation to your height. Accurate assessments of obesity are vital, as being overweight or obese significantly increases your risk of a number of medical conditions like type 2 heart disease, diabetes, and cancer. As the levels of obesity or obesity increase the spotlight has been placed the spotlight on BMI and its weaknesses as a measure of ideal weight for individuals and not for whole groups of people to whom "averages" do apply.

"Some people naturally have a larger frame than others. But this causes quite a small variation in weight and is accounted for in the range of healthy BMI. There is really no such thing as someone who is big-boned. " Dr. Jan Sambrook, How to lose weight in a healthy way

For most adults BMI offers a useful estimation of your health risks. If your BMI is over 35, you are certain to put your health at risk regardless of the variables below. However, there are certain circumstances in which BMI could be over or underestimating the risk in the 25-35 BMI range. The main ones are:

Children

Your physician or health visitor can help you determine the position of your child on the "centile charts" used to calculate the healthy weights of children.

Women who are pregnant

Usual BMI estimates do not apply if you're pregnant.

If you're extremely strong

BMI assumes that you have an acceptable amount of body fat such as 'intra-abdominal' fat - belly fat that's located deep in your cavity rather than beneath your skin. Intra-abdominal fat is more closely linked to risks of type 2 diabetes and heart disease than fat under the skin.

If you're a very strong person and have a high body fat might be lower than expected by your BMI. This only applies to those who exercise at intense exercise much more than average.

If you're of Asian Origin, you will be able to identify yourself.

People of Asian background are more likely to accumulating intra-abdominal fat (fat deep inside your stomach cavity and not under your skin) at lower BMI levels than those who are of Caucasian origin. The people who have this type of weight gain are described as 'apples' , rather than "pears" as per their body outline. The health risks increase when they have a lower BMI as the intra-abdominal fat is directly connected to the development of heart disease and types 2 diabetes.

The World Health Organisation has looked at the evidence, and because of the variability between different Asian populations It hasn't changed the cut-offs. However, the WHO recommends to use the cut-off points for public health, some Asian populations should be classified as overweight If their BMI is between 22-25 and obese with BMIs of 26-31.

Older people (over 65, and possibly even over 60)

As muscle mass tends shrink and body fat tends to increase with age, BMI may not be an accurate reflection of body fat levels if you're older than 60.

Alternative estimates of weight-related health dangers

If you feel BMI may not accurately reflect whether you are overweight or obese The measurement of your abdominal circumference, waist-hip , or waist-height ratio could provide you with a more realistic estimate.

Waist circumference

You measure your waist circumference approximately halfway between the lower part of your ribcage and above your hip bones, with the tape measure parallel to the floor. You should be breathing out as you measure. Male

• Health risk increased - > 94cm
• High risk of health - > 102cm

Female

• Increased health risk - >=80cm
• High risk of health-related illness - >=88cm

Ratio hip-to-waist

To measure your waist-to- hip ratio, take a measurement of you waist circumference (as above) and then your hip measurement at the widest part of your hips. Divide your abdominal circumference by your hip measurement to get the ratio.

• In women, a waist to hip ratio that is greater over 0.85 is associated with a higher than average risk.
• For men with a waist to hip ratio that is greater that 1.00 is associated with greater than the average risk.

The ratio of height to waist

A recent study on the relationship between BMI the waist circumference, hip to waist ratio and the ratio of waist to height discovered that the best method of predicting your total body fat percentage was to look at the waist-height ratio.

Find your waist circumference using the method above and simply divide the measurement by your height. evidently both measurements should have either been in imperial (inches) or the metric (cm).

Obesity in the whole body is defined as a waist-to-height ratio that is:

• 0.53 and more men
• 0.54 or greater for women

Abdominal obesity was defined by the waist-height ratio to 0.59 or more.

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