Body Mass Index

Your Body Mass Index and What it Means

Body Mass Index (BMI) is an index of weight against height that  is used to determine levels of adult overweight and obesity.  It is also known as the Quetelet Index as it was created by Belgian scientist Adolphe Quetelet in the mid nineteenth century.  The index is calculated by dividing a person’s body weight by the square of their height. This will then yield a measure of BMI typically in Kg/M² (Kilograms per Meter squared). 

According to the World Health Organisation definition, overweight corresponds with a Body Mass Index equal to or more than 25 and obesity corresponds with a Body Mass Index equal to or more than 30. In practise, the BMI is used to determine the degree to which a person’s body weight differs from the normal range for a person of equivalent height.

Although it is the most convenient and widespread measure of general levels of body fat, it is not without detractors as there are some key limitations to its usefulness.  The main potential problems with the use of the BMI arise when seeking to measure individuals who may have relatively high levels of lean muscle mass, such as athletes.  In some of these cases, it produces an overestimate of the levels of body fat.  Conversely, potential problems also arise when individuals tend to have lower levels of lean body mass, such as elderly people.  In those situations, it will tend to underestimate body fat levels.

According to the World Health Organisation, there are two key causes for the rapidly increasing BMI in major population centres.  These are a widespread shift in diet towards much larger intakes of energy dense foods high in fat and sugar, but low in vitamins, minerals and other nutrients as well as decreasing levels of physical activity associated with the increasingly sedentary nature of work and life in urbanised areas.

You can easily calculate your BMI  using this online calculator.  This will give you a reasonable indication of your fat levels and whether you need to be taking action to fight the fat. But whatever your score, it is always best not to wait until you have big problems.  The best approach is to take action and get yourself on track to a healthy lifestyle