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BMI calculator
Your body mass index, what it means, and why it can mislead if you play a lot of sport.
What BMI is
Body mass index is your weight in kg divided by your height in metres, squared. The World Health Organization ranges for adults are: under 18.5 underweight, 18.5 to 24.9 healthy, 25 to 29.9 overweight, 30 and over obesity.
Why athletes often read high
BMI cannot tell muscle from fat. Many hockey, football and rugby players, and people who lift, land in the "overweight" range while being lean. Waist size, how your clothes fit and how you perform tell you more than BMI alone. It is not meant for under-18s, pregnancy or older adults without a professional's input.
Questions
What is a healthy BMI?
18.5 to 24.9 for most adults, by the World Health Organization ranges.
Is BMI accurate for athletes?
Often not. Muscle is dense, so muscular people can have a high BMI with little body fat.
How do I calculate BMI?
Weight in kg divided by height in metres squared. For example, 80 kg at 1.80 m is 80 / 3.24 = 24.7.
What is better than BMI?
Waist measurement, body fat estimates and how you feel and perform give a fuller picture. A doctor can put them together for you.
Sources
- World Health Organization. Obesity: preventing and managing the global epidemic. WHO Technical Report Series 894; 2000.
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