BMI
BMI stands for Body Mass Index. It is a health screening tool used to estimate if an adult’s (18-65 years) weight is healthy for their height. BMI is a good general indictor for most people. Research shows that a BMI higher or lower than the normal weight range is associated with a higher risk now or in the future of developing chronic conditions: cancer, diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, and more. A higher BMI, due to a higher body fat can also contribute to increased joint pain in weight bearing joints (ankles, knees, hips, and low back). The extra weight puts extra pressure on those joint areas. BMI is calculated using a person’s height and weight. From that BMI number, they can be classified into a weight category.
WEIGHT CATEGORIES
There are 4 BMI weight categories. The obese category can be further broken up into 4 sub categories.
- Underweight: < 18.4
- Normal weight: 18.5 – 24.9
- Overweight: 25 – 29.9
- Obese: Greater than 30
- Obese (Class 1): 30 – 34.9
- Severly Obese (Class 2): 35 – 39.9
- Morbidly Obese (Class 3): 40 – 49.9
- Super Obese (Class 4): 50+
ACCURACY
BMI is a good indictor for most people, but not all. Also, it is only 1 health screening tool to assess health. BMI alone does not measure how healthy someone is, but it does provide a good indication for the general public. To get a more accurate overall condition of one’s health, there are other factors to consider:
- Waist circumference measurement
- Resting heart rate
- Body fat percent
- Lean muscle mass
- Complete blood test count
- V02 max
- Family health history, genetics, and conditions
- And more
The more factors taken into account, the more accurate one can determine their health status to be.
LIMITATIONS
BMI doesn’t measure body composition (body fat percentage and muscle mass) or general health. It may not be as accurate for certain groups:
- Athletes
- Body builders (people with a lot of muscle mass and low body fat)
- Pregnant individuals
- Elderly populations
- Children
CHECK YOUR BMI
Now you can check your BMI. Enter your information. See what BMI you get and what weight category you fall into. Then, use this data to guide healthy actions! See if any of our fitness programs work for you.