1. What is BMI?

Body Mass Index (BMI) is a simple index of weight-for-height that is commonly used to classify underweight, overweight and obesity in adults. For children and teens, BMI is age- and sex-specific and is often referred to as BMI-for-age.

2. How Does the Calculator Work?

The calculator uses the BMI formula:

Where:

• \( weight \) — Body weight in kilograms (kg)
• \( height \) — Height in meters (m)

Explanation: BMI is calculated by dividing weight in kilograms by height in meters squared.

3. Importance of BMI Calculation

Details: BMI provides a simple numeric measure of a person's thickness or thinness, allowing health professionals to discuss weight problems more objectively with their patients.

4. Using the Calculator

Tips: Enter weight in kilograms, height in meters. For children and teens, also provide age and gender for proper interpretation.

5. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q1: What is a healthy BMI range?
A: For adults, 18.5 to 24.9 is considered healthy. For children, BMI is compared against growth charts.

Q2: Does BMI apply to everyone?
A: BMI may overestimate body fat in athletes and underestimate it in older people who have lost muscle mass.

Q3: How often should BMI be checked?
A: For adults, annually is sufficient. For children, more frequent monitoring may be needed during growth spurts.

Q4: Are there limitations to BMI?
A: BMI doesn't distinguish between muscle and fat, and doesn't account for fat distribution.

Q5: What's the difference between adult and child BMI?
A: Children's BMI is plotted on growth charts to determine a percentile ranking rather than using fixed categories.