What is Body Mass Index (BMI)?

If you have been struggling to lose weight, researching general fitness or trying to improve your health, you have probably heard the term BMI or Body Mass Index thrown around.  What is Body Mass Index (BMI)?  Body Mass Index is a measure, based on an individual’s weight and height, used to determine whether or not someone is at a healthy weight range.  It is derived at by dividing your weight in pounds by your height in inches squared and multiplying that by 703.  So, how is this number interpreted?  The chart below shows the BMI ranges with the associated weight categories:

Don’t have a calculator handy?  Use the following chart below to determine your BMI.  Find your height in the vertical column and your weight in the horizontal column, your BMI can be found where these two numbers meet – along with the associated weight status.

Is BMI a reliable measure?  The problem with using this measurement is it tends to be inaccurate for very fit muscular individuals.  This is because the weight measurement used to calculate BMI does not distinguish between lean muscle and body fat.  So, if you have a 190 pound male who stands at 5’10” but is considerably muscular he would be classified as overweight, when in reality he is not.  However, for most people, BMI is a fairly reliable indicator of an individual’s weight status.

Do you know your BMI?  Does it accurately depict your weight status?