The body mass index of an individual is figured with the person’s height and weight placed into a calculation. It has come to be a reliable calculation for the overall health and fitness of an individual. To calculate body mass index one needs their height and weight. It does not calculate directly the body fat of an individual, but it does give a good indication of the overall lean body tissue to fat. The calculations for adults and children are different. The same calculation is used for both adult men and women.

Be aware that when you calculate body mass index, it can be skewed to the “overweight” side if you are in very good shape with much muscle mass. The body mass index assumes one is a “normal” body type with average muscle mass. When many athletes calculate body mass index, they often find the result shows them to be too over weight for their height even though their true body fat composition is quite low. Other means must be used to get a completely accurate measurement of body fat.
The body mass index is simply used as a starting points for health care workers to asses the overall wellness of a given individual. The care giver will usually use other means to get a more clear definition of wellness for a given individual.

Here is how to calculate body mass index:

The calculation is weight in pounds divided by height in inches squared multiplied by 703.
Example for a 6’ tall person who weighs 200 pounds
72x72 = 5184 (six feet is 72 inches)
so,
200 divided by 5184= .0386
.0386x703 = 27.1 body mass index

For adults over 21 years of age, here is the body mass chart:

Body mass index below 18.5 ---- underweight
Body mass index 18.5 to 24.9 --- normal
Body mass index 25 to 29.9 --- overweight
Body mass index 30 and above --- Obese
Remember this chart does not apply to children.

More things to remember when you calculate body mass index;

• The older you are, the higher your body fat percentage will be
• Women, on average have higher index numbers than men.

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