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 Indian populations, the cutoff values are lower than international standards due to higher body fat percentages at lower BMIs.

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 correlates fairly well with body fat for most people, though athletes with high muscle mass may have higher BMI without excess fat.

3. Indian-Specific BMI Categories

Details: For Indian men, the categories are:

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

These are lower than WHO standards due to higher body fat percentage at lower BMI in Indian populations.

4. Using the Calculator

Tips: Enter weight in kilograms and height in meters. For height, you can convert from cm to m by dividing by 100 (e.g., 175 cm = 1.75 m).

5. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q1: Why different BMI cutoffs for Indians?
A: Indians have higher body fat percentage at lower BMI compared to Caucasians, and higher risk of metabolic diseases at lower BMI.

Q2: Is BMI accurate for muscular individuals?
A: BMI may overestimate body fat in athletes and underestimate it in older people with less muscle mass.

Q3: What is a healthy BMI range for Indian men?
A: 18.5-22.9 kg/m² is considered healthy for Indian men, though individual factors should be considered.

Q4: Should elderly use the same BMI ranges?
A: Slightly higher BMI may be acceptable for elderly (up to 24.9) as very low BMI increases mortality risk.

Q5: What's better than BMI for body fat measurement?
A: Waist circumference, waist-to-hip ratio, or skinfold measurements may provide better estimates of body fat.