1. What is BMI?

Body Mass Index (BMI) is a simple calculation using a person's height and weight. 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:

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

Explanation: The formula divides a person's weight by the square of their height to categorize their weight status.

3. Importance of BMI Calculation

Details: BMI provides a reliable indicator of body fatness for most people and is used to screen for weight categories that may lead to health problems.

4. Using the Calculator

Tips: Enter weight in kilograms and height in meters. Select the appropriate category (women, teens, or boys) for accurate interpretation.

5. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q1: What is a healthy BMI range?
A: For adults, 18.5-24.9 is considered healthy. For teens and children, BMI is interpreted using age- and sex-specific percentiles.

Q2: How often should BMI be calculated?
A: For adults, annually is sufficient. For growing children and teens, more frequent measurements (every 3-6 months) may be appropriate.

Q3: Are there limitations to BMI?
A: BMI doesn't directly measure body fat and may not account for muscle mass, bone density, or ethnic differences in body composition.

Q4: How is BMI different for teens?
A: Teen BMI is plotted on growth charts to determine a percentile ranking based on age and sex, rather than using fixed categories.

Q5: Should athletes use BMI?
A: Highly muscular athletes may have a high BMI despite having low body fat. Additional measurements may be needed for accurate assessment.