Body Mass Index BMI

BMI or Body Mass Index is one of the indicators of a person's overall health condition. The BMI chart must not be viewed in isolation but along with the person's age, lifestyle and other related issues. A BMI calculator helps you check if your weight falls within acceptable limits for your height.BMI is calculated with an adult's body weight and height.

BMI calculation can help you take stock of your weight vis-à-vis your height. A high BMI is usually associated with health hazards. Heart disease, diabetes and high blood pressure can usually be traced to obesity. A BMI index or score can help you gauge whether your weight is in a healthy range or whether you are overweight. Suitable diet alterations, lifestyle changes and exercise regimen can then be undertaken. Body fat and BMI differs with age and gender. Women are more predisposed to higher percentage of body fat when compared with men for the same BMI.

BMI cannot be used as the only indicator for total body fat since it may overestimate the body fat in athletes and those with a muscular build. Such persons have a high BMI due to increased muscle mass. Similarly women who are pregnant or lactating tend to have an increased BMI. Healthy BMI figures for children and young people are different from those for adults. You must use a separate BMI scale to calculate the score for a growing child.