Body Mass Index (BMI) Calculator

Significance of Body Mass Index

Though there have been many speculations and much disagreement among scientists all over the world about ideal BMI values and their exact meanings, the WHO and CDC standards to this day are that the ideal BMI number should fall between 18.6 and 24.9. Anything beyond 30 is considered obese. Anything below 18 and you are underweight. So if your BMI comes to anywhere after 30, or before 18, it would be a really good time to rethinking your diet.

Again there has been no unanimity on opinions about differences between BMI values for women and for men. Those scientist who are not satisfied with WHO’s and CDC’s roundabout figure stick to the fact that in the case of women , the obesity threshold should be 33. They argue that women generally have more body mass than men. But what they don’t realize is that BMI is not aimed merely at measuring physical aesthetics. Scientific study proves that health risks rise equally for men and women above value 25 kg/m3, hence fortifying the stand of WHO and CDC.
The Calculation and Relevance of BMI

To calculate the Body Mass Index, we divide the mass of the concerned person, taken in kilograms, by the square of the person’s height in meters.

Therefore BMI = Weight (kg) / [Height (m)]2

Although BMI is a widely known and accepted measure of the physical state of a person, we do not recommend that you use the same obtained from this site or any other for that matter as a final verdict on your physical condition. Its only purpose is to give you an overall idea of the scenario. If you do plan on embarking on any heavy change in your diet, please consult your doctor.