Body Mass Index (BMI)
Interpretation
- Body mass index (BMI)
- Measure of body fat in adults, based on height and weight
- The higher the BMI, the higher the risk for certain diseases such as heart disease, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, gallstones, and certain cancers[1]
- For children and teenagers, please refer to age-specific charts at the US Centers for Disease Control
- BMI Interpretation:
Adult BMI | Category |
---|---|
< 18.5 | Underweight |
18.5 – 24.9 | Normal |
25.0 – 29.9 | Overweight |
30.0 – 39.9 | Obese |
≥ 40 | Morbidly Obese |
- BMI Limitations
- May overestimate body fat in athletes and others who have a muscular build.
- May underestimate body fat in older persons and others who have lost muscle.
Formula
Adult BMI = (Weight × w) / (Height × h)2
w: weight multiplier | |
---|---|
kilograms | 1 |
grams | 0.001 |
pounds | 0.453592 |
ounces | 0.02835 |
h: height multiplier | |
---|---|
meters | 1 |
centimeters | 0.01 |
inches | 0.0254 |
feet | 0.3048 |
References
- Clinical Guidelines on the Identification, Evaluation, and Treatment of Overweight and Obesity in Adults--The Evidence Report. National Institutes of Health. Obes Res 6 Suppl 2:51S, 1998 [PMID:9813653]
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS). National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey Data. Hyattsville, MD: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2011-12: http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/nhanes/nhanes_questionnaires.htm
Citation
"Body Mass Index (BMI)." Calculators, 2020. Emergency Central, emergency.unboundmedicine.com/emergency/view/calculators/134007/all/Body_Mass_Index__BMI_.
Body Mass Index (BMI). Calculators. 2020. https://emergency.unboundmedicine.com/emergency/view/calculators/134007/all/Body_Mass_Index__BMI_. Accessed December 7, 2024.
Body Mass Index (BMI). (2020). In Calculators https://emergency.unboundmedicine.com/emergency/view/calculators/134007/all/Body_Mass_Index__BMI_
Body Mass Index (BMI) [Internet]. In: Calculators. ; 2020. [cited 2024 December 07]. Available from: https://emergency.unboundmedicine.com/emergency/view/calculators/134007/all/Body_Mass_Index__BMI_.
* Article titles in AMA citation format should be in sentence-case
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