Yet, taller people tend to appear skinnier than shorter people (proportions are not maintained). So while the BMI predicts that humans scale in two dimensions, much like a sheet of paper might, the cubic relationship would imply that humans scale isometrically (proportions are maintained). Though there have been studies finding the implied quadratic relationship, there are many that report higher order relationships, as far up as cubic. Another issue is that the BMI is not specific to gender nor ethnicity, despite women generally having a higher body fat percentage and healthy BMI varying between ethnicities (Asians with increased BMI are at greater risk for type 2 diabetes ).įor both short and tall people, there is yet another problem, and that is that the relationship between mass and height suggested by the BMI formula may be in error. This short coming limits the usefulness of the index. Muscle is denser than fat, and thus a muscular person may have a misleadingly high BMI despite having a body fat content not unconducive to good health. Despite this simplicity though, and advancements in computing, it is still used today for such tasks as determining insurance premiums.Ī common criticism of the BMI is that it disregards body composition. Its simplicity was a primary factor in its rise in popularity.

The formula became known as the BMI after Ancel Keys’ 1972 publication, “Indices of relative weight and obesity”. The formula for the BMI was first conceived by Adolphe Quitelet (then known as the Quitelet index) and related in such works as, “A Treatise On Man”. The metric and imperial versions of the BMI are as follows: Metric (kg and m): The NIH suggests using the Body Mass Index (BMI) in combination with the above evaluation table to assess the healthiness of body mass. Waist circumference is a simple way to assess your risk of developing obesity-related health conditions.The US National Institutes of Health (NIH) advises that excessive body fat corresponds with a higher risk of various diseases including heart disease, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, gallstones, breathing problems, and certain cancers.BMI provides a good estimate of body fat for most people.For tools and tips to help you make positive changes to your lifestyle visit the LiveLighter website (external site).For information about the amount and types of food you should be eating for health and wellbeing visit the Eat for Health website (external site).If you have concerns about your weight talk to your doctor.Increased risk, especially if your BMI is more than 25 The table below shows your disease risk based on your weight circumference.

Place the tape measure at the narrowest part between these points and wrap it around your waist.Find the top of your hip bone and the bottom of your ribs.Excess fat around your waist is known to be more dangerous to your health than excess fat in other places on your body, for example on your hips and thighs. Measuring your waist circumference is a simple way to assess your risk of developing obesity-related health conditions. Measure your waist circumference for adults Use the LiveLighter BMI calculator tool (external site) for an easy way to calculate your own BMI. While BMI provides a good estimate of body fat for most people, it may not be suitable for some groups such as athletes who have a muscular build, older people, and some ethnic groups. The standard weight status categories for different BMI ranges for adults are shown in the table below. Ambulance fees for seniors and pensionersīody Mass Index (BMI) Calculating adult weight with BMIīody Mass Index (BMI) is calculated by dividing your weight (in kilograms) by your height (in metres) squared.Assistance with travel costs to receive medical care.Telehealth – delivering virtual care closer to home.

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Bmi calculator for athletes