1. What is BMI?

Body Mass Index (BMI) is a measure of body fat based on height and weight that applies to adult men and women. 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: 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.

3. Importance of BMI Calculation

Details: BMI is a screening tool that can indicate whether a person is underweight, normal weight, overweight, or obese. However, it doesn't directly measure body fat and doesn't account for muscle mass, bone density, overall body composition, and racial and sex differences.

4. Using the Calculator

Tips: Enter weight in kilograms, height in meters. For children and teens, also enter age and gender to get BMI-for-age percentiles (note: this calculator provides basic BMI calculation only).

5. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q1: What is a healthy BMI range?
A: For adults, 18.5-24.9 is considered healthy. Below 18.5 is underweight, 25-29.9 is overweight, and 30+ is obese.

Q2: Is BMI accurate for everyone?
A: BMI may overestimate body fat in athletes and those with muscular builds, and underestimate it in older persons who have lost muscle mass.

Q3: How is BMI different for children?
A: For children and teens, BMI is age- and sex-specific and is plotted on growth charts to obtain a percentile ranking.

Q4: What are the limitations of BMI?
A: BMI doesn't distinguish between fat and muscle, doesn't consider fat distribution, and may not be accurate for certain ethnic groups.

Q5: Should BMI be the only measure of health?
A: No, BMI should be used along with other assessments like waist circumference, diet history, exercise patterns, and family history.