What is body mass index?
Determining how much you should weigh is not a simple matter of looking at an insurance height-weight chart, but includes considering the amount of bone, muscle, and fat in your body's composition. The amount of fat is the critical measurement.
A good indicator of how much fat you carry is the Body Mass Index (BMI). Although it is not a perfect measure, it gives a fairly accurate assessment of how much of your body is composed of fat.
To calculate your BMI manually:
1. Take your weight in pounds and divide by 2.2 to determine your weight in kilograms. This is your "weight number."
2. Next, convert your height in inches into height in centimeters by multiplying the number of inches by 2.54.
- Divide your height in centimeters by 100 (there are 100 centimeters per meter).
- Next, square your height in meters by multiplying the sum by itself. This number is your "height number."
3. Now, divide your weight number by your height number.
A BMI between 25-29 is considered overweight. Anything over 30 is considered obese.
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