Calculate Your BMI
Your body mass index (or BMI) takes into consideration your height and your weight to determine the amount of body fat that your body should have, and by considering this number, you can be pre-screened for a number of fat-related illnesses. By learning how to calculate your BMI, you can avoid health problems in the future. It is easy to calculate your BMI accurately, and it is also very affordable. In addition to finding your personal BMI figure, to get a full picture of your health diagnosis, you should see a health professional who can do a number of other tests, such as a skin-fold test.
Formula to Use to Calculate Your BMI
In order to calculate your BMI correctly, you should follow a simple mathematical formula. All you need is your current height and weight! Be sure that the measurements that you use are accurate, or else your results could differ greatly from your true figures. You’ll want to get an exact measurement of your height and your weight in inches and pounds. Once you have these numbers, input them in the following formula:
[Your Weight ÷ (Your Height) ²] x 703 = BMI
For example, if you are a woman who is five-foot-ten inches and one hundred and sixty pounds, you will want to first convert your height into inches only. There are twelve inches in every metric foot, so 12 inches x 5 feet equals sixty inches. Then you’d want to add the last ten inches, which would equal a total of seventy inches for your height.
You would then take your weight of one hundred and sixty pounds and divide it by your height in inches squared (seventy squared is forty nine hundred), and multiply the answer by a conversion factor of 703. The sum would be your personal BMI. See below.
[160 ÷ (70)²] x 703 = BMI
[160 ÷ 4900] x 703 = BMI
.0327 x 703 = 22.99
BMI = 22.99
Now that you know how to calculate your BMI, you should understand how to read the standard BMI chart in order to see how you fall within the set guidelines.
BMI Chart
Below you will find the guidelines set by the Center for Disease Control (CDC) to determine what your BMI means to you in regards to your weight healthiness.
| BMI | Weight Status |
| If your BMI is under 18.5 | You would be considered underweight |
| If your BMI is between 18.6 – 24.9 | You would be considered normal |
| If your BMI is between 25.0 – 29.9 | You would be considered overweight |
|
If your BMI is 30.0 or higher |
You would be considered obese |
Therefore, in the case of our example, a woman who is five-foot-ten-inches tall and weighs one hundred and sixty pounds would have a BMI of 22.99. This means that according to the chart above, she would be of normal weight. Knowing how to calculate your BMI will help you to determine what weight status you belong in, and you can adjust your lifestyle accordingly, if you are not in a normal range.
