American Heart Association BMI Calculator Female

BMI Formula:

\[ BMI = \frac{weight\ (kg)}{[height\ (m)]^2} \]

BMI:

Unit Converter ▲

Unit Converter ▼

From:	To:

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. For women, the American Heart Association uses BMI to screen for weight categories that may lead to health problems.

2. How Does the Calculator Work?

The calculator uses the standard BMI formula:

\[ BMI = \frac{weight\ (kg)}{[height\ (m)]^2} \]

Where:

\( weight \) — Body weight in kilograms
\( height \) — Height in meters

Interpretation for Women:

Underweight: BMI less than 18.5
Normal weight: BMI 18.5 to 24.9
Overweight: BMI 25 to 29.9
Obese: BMI 30 or greater

3. Importance of BMI Calculation

Details: BMI provides a reliable indicator of body fatness for most women and is used to screen for weight categories that may lead to health problems. According to the American Heart Association, higher BMI is associated with increased risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, and other conditions.

4. Using the Calculator

Tips: Enter weight in kilograms and height in meters. For accuracy, measure height without shoes and weight with minimal clothing. All values must be valid (weight > 0, height > 0).

5. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q1: Is BMI different for women than men?
A: The same BMI ranges apply to both genders, but women typically have higher body fat percentages than men at the same BMI.

Q2: What are the limitations of BMI for women?
A: BMI doesn't distinguish between muscle and fat, so muscular women may have high BMI without excess fat. It also doesn't account for fat distribution, which affects health risks.

Q3: What is a healthy BMI range for women?
A: The American Heart Association considers 18.5-24.9 kg/m² as the healthy range for adult women.

Q4: Should pregnant women use BMI?
A: BMI calculations during pregnancy aren't meaningful because weight gain is expected. Use pre-pregnancy BMI for reference.

Q5: Are there better measures than BMI?
A: Waist circumference and waist-to-hip ratio may better predict health risks, especially for women with "normal" BMI but high abdominal fat.