1. What is BMI?

Body Mass Index (BMI) is a simple calculation using a person's height and weight. The formula is BMI = kg/m² where kg is a person's weight in kilograms and m² is their height in meters squared. BMI screens for weight categories that may lead to health problems.

2. How Does the Calculator Work?

The calculator uses the standard BMI formula:

Where:

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

Waist Circumference: This optional measurement helps assess abdominal obesity, which is an independent risk factor for health problems even at normal BMI.

3. Importance of BMI and Waist Measurement

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. Waist measurement adds information about fat distribution.

4. Using the Calculator

Tips: Enter weight in kg, height in meters, and optionally waist circumference in cm. For most accurate results, measure weight in the morning after using the bathroom and before eating.

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: Why measure waist circumference?
A: Excess abdominal fat is a risk factor for heart disease and type 2 diabetes, even with normal BMI.

Q3: Are there limitations to BMI?
A: BMI doesn't distinguish between muscle and fat, so athletes may have high BMI without excess fat. It also may not be accurate for children, elderly, or pregnant women.

Q4: What are healthy waist measurements?
A: For men, <94 cm is low risk, 94-101 cm is increased risk, ≥102 cm is high risk. For women, <80 cm is low risk, 80-87 cm is increased risk, ≥88 cm is high risk.

Q5: Should athletes use BMI?
A: Athletes with high muscle mass may want additional body composition assessments as BMI alone may overestimate their body fat.