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Body Fat Index (BMI) provides vital information about the possible state of your health and body metabolism. BMI has been the medical standard for obesity measurement since the early 1980's when government researchers developed it to take height into account in weight measurement.

Body Mass Index = Weight(kg) / Height(m)^2 

BMI is a reliable indicator of total body fat, which is related to the risk of disease and death. The score is valid for both men and women but it does have some limits. The limits are:

• It may overestimate body fat in athletes and others who have a muscular build.

• It may underestimate body fat in older persons and others who have lost muscle mass.

Critical health risks may begin with a BMI of 25. Researchers say that, as BMI increases, blood pressure and total cholesterol levels also rise, along with the increased possibility of serious illnesses such as diabetes, heart disease, breast cancer, prostate cancer, colon cancer, and several other debilitating life-threatening diseases.

Use the following calculator to determine your BMI. Then experiment with the calculator by entering different weights to find out what your ideal weight should be. (Remember to click Calculate BMI after each change). 

BMI Calculator   Enter Weight: lbs. Enter Height: ft.  in.

Your Body Mass Index is:

Your Category* is: *According to the Panel on Energy, Obesity, and Body Weight Standards published by American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

BMI Underweight Below 18.5 Normal 18.5 - 24.9 Overweight 25.0 - 29.9 Obesity 30.0 and Above

According to the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey

Overweight is BMI of:

26 to 27.8 for men

26 to 27.3 for women

        Obesity is a BMI of over:

27.8 for men

227.3 for women

30 and over is definitely obese for both genders

According to the National Academy of Sciences' diet and health report, BMI should be:

22 to 27 for persons 45 to 54 years of age

23 to 28 for persons 55 to 65 years of age

24 to 29 for persons over 65 years of age

According to the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey of 1994:

59% of American men and 49% of women have BMI's over 25. 

Extreme obesity (BMI of 40 or more) was found in 2% of the men and 4% of the women.

Another way to determine body fat is using your waist circumference

Determine your waist circumference by placing a measuring tape snugly around your waist. It is a good indicator of your abdominal fat, which is another predictor of your risk for developing risk factors for heart disease and other diseases. This risk increases with a waist measurement of over 40 inches in men and over 35 inches in women

Other Risk Factors

Besides being overweight or obese, there are additional risk factors to consider.

Risk Factors
high blood pressure (hypertension) high LDL-cholesterol ("bad" cholesterol) low HDL-cholesterol ("good" cholesterol) high triglycerides high blood glucose (sugar) family history of premature heart disease physical inactivity cigarette smoking