1. What is BMI?

Body Mass Index (BMI) is a simple index of weight-for-height that is commonly used to classify underweight, normal weight, overweight and obesity in adults. For the Asia Pacific population, lower BMI cutoffs are used due to higher health risks at lower BMI levels compared to Caucasians.

2. How Does the Calculator Work?

The calculator uses the standard BMI formula:

Where:

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

Explanation: BMI is calculated by dividing weight in kilograms by the square of height in meters.

3. Asia Pacific BMI Categories

Details: The World Health Organization recommends lower BMI thresholds for Asian populations:

• Underweight: BMI < 18.5 kg/m²
• Normal weight: BMI 18.5-22.9 kg/m²
• Overweight: BMI 23-27.4 kg/m²
• Obese: BMI ≥ 27.5 kg/m²

4. Using the Calculator

Tips: Enter weight in kilograms and height in meters. For height in centimeters, divide by 100 (e.g., 175 cm = 1.75 m). All values must be valid (weight > 0, height > 0).

5. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q1: Why different BMI categories for Asia Pacific?
A: Asian populations have higher body fat percentages at lower BMIs and higher risks of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease at lower BMI levels.

Q2: Is BMI accurate for everyone?
A: BMI may not accurately reflect body fat in athletes (high muscle mass), elderly (loss of muscle mass), or pregnant women.

Q3: What's a healthy BMI range?
A: For most Asia Pacific adults, a BMI of 18.5-22.9 is considered healthy, though individual factors should be considered.

Q4: Should children use this calculator?
A: No, children and teens need age- and sex-specific BMI percentiles rather than these adult categories.

Q5: What's better than BMI?
A: Waist circumference and waist-to-hip ratio provide additional information about fat distribution and health risks.