When is a BMI calculator used?

Understanding your BMI

Calculating your BMIusing the Body Mass Index calculatoror manually is only the initial step, but knowing that it is the next step. To make it easier for you to understand on the various categories that your health condition will be classified under based on your BMI -

• You have a BMI < 18.5 -

Your physical health condition would be classified as being underweight in respect to others with the same gender, age, and height as you.

• If your BMI is higher than 18.5 and 24.9

Your physical health would be considered to be healthy in relationship to people who are the same age, gender, and height as you.

• If your BMI exceeds 25 but less than 29.9

Your physical health problem could be classified as an overweight condition relative to other people with the same gender, age and height.

• In the event that your BMI is greater than 30, you are HTML0.

Your physical health status would be classified as being obese in comparison to others that are of the same gender, age, and height as you. Persons whose condition is classified as being overweight or obese are typically thought to be the most prone to health conditions.

How do you determine the best BMIfor men and women?

In the body, body mass index will be the indicator of one's weight in relation to their height and thus the gender does not play an important role in determining whether you are overweight, overweight or a healthy individual. To help you better understand the concept, here's an example - a man and a woman who both have 5'7 inches of height" and weigh 81kgs will each have a physical status classified as overweight regardless of their gender.

Why is the premium for your insurance policy greater if you're underweight?

Understanding your BMI

Calculating your BMI using the Body Mass Index calculator or manually is only one step, understanding it is the next. To help you understand it better these are the classifications that your physical condition will be classified into depending on your BMI -

• If your BMI < 18.5 -

Your physical health issue would be classified as being overweight in relation to the individuals that are the same age, gender, and height as you.

• Your BMI is higher than 18.5 and 24.9

Your physical health condition would be classified as healthy regard to those who have the same gender, age and height.

• You're BMI is > 25 but less than 29.9

Your health condition could be classified as an overweight condition in relation to the individuals with the same gender, age, and height as you.

• In the event that your BMI exceeds 30

Your physical health status would be classified as being obese in comparison to others that are the same age, gender and height as you. Individuals whose physical health condition is classified as overweight or obese are usually thought to be the most prone to health issues.

What is the best BMI for men and women?

BMI Ranges

Now that you have your BMI then check where you're located within the BMI of the range listed below.

The BMI is under 18.5 - you're thought to be underweight.

The BMI can be found somewhere between 18.5 between 18.5 and 24.9 - you are classified as being within a normal weight bracket.

If your HTML0 BMI will be within 25.0 up to 29.9- you are thought to be overweight.

Your BMI is over 30 This means you are believed to be overweight.

My BMI is high, what can I do to lose weight?

A good starting point to aim for is losing 10% or more of the body's weight. Even if that's not enough to get you into a healthy weight range It's a good starting point if you're overweight and research has shown it's enough to have health benefits like lowering risk factors for type 2 diabetes and heart disease. The WW program guides members to focus on realistic weight-loss goals and provides the necessary skills and methods to help reach them.

Is BMI more relevant for men or women?

The identical BMI measurements apply to both genders since the same risks of developing a health condition related to weight is applicable to both men and women.

Research has found a connection between having more BMI and an increased risk of a number of ailments, including heart disease, type 2 diabetes, osteoarthritis, and some types of cancer , including breast cancer.

Is BMI 100 percent precise?

It's not always accurate for everyone. It doesn't distinguish between fat and muscle and therefore, people with a large muscle mass will generally have a higher BMI even that their body fat level is within the healthy range. In addition, a balanced BMI does not necessarily indicate good health. In fact, studies show that one-third of those with healthy BMIs are quite unhealthy once other test results, including blood pressureand blood glucose and cholesterol are taken into account.

One reason could be that BMI doesn't accurately reflect where your the body's fat is stored and it's possible to have an ideal BMI, while carrying excess fat around your waist, which can pose a greater health risk than weight carried across your thighs and hips. A study from 2017 proved this fact, revealing that those who are overweight around their midsection but with healthy BMIs have the greatest risk of being killed from any cause, in comparison to those with higher BMIs who carry the weight elsewhere.

"If I had to choose between making sure my BMI or my waist-to-hip ratio are within the 'normal' range, I would go for the latter," says the University of Sydney's Associate Professor Emmanuel Stamatakis, who co-led the study. "A high waist-to-hip ratio most likely means high amounts of abdominal fat, and we know this comes with quite serious health risks."

Should I be concerned about calculating my BMI?

Yes, says Dr. Michelle Celander, WW program and Director of Science. "BMI provides a snapshot of how weight can affect the likelihood of developing medical issues for a population of people, so while it may not be a perfect measure of the risk to health for each person, it's useful as a feedback tool for you.

"But, while it is a good idea to calculate and know what your BMI is, no one piece of feedback about your weight or health should be viewed in isolation, so it's really important to consider your BMI in context of other information and measurements."

What are other measures that are relevant?

There are two you should consider:

A) Your waist-to-hip ratio
Your waist measurement is divided (in centimetres) by the measurement of your hips (in centimetres). A waist-to-hip ratio greater than 0.9 for men while 0.85 for women indicates an increased risk to health.

B) Your waist-to-height ratio
Cut your waist measurement (in centimetres) by your height (in centimetres). To maintain your health, research shows that keeping your waist circumference at less than half of your height - or a ratio no bigger than 0.5 should be considered a wise choice.