How to Calculate Your Body Mass Index to Prevent Becoming Overweight

Obesity is not as healthy as it is associated with many illnesses and diseases. You get to suffer from diabetes, stroke, high blood pressure, and unfortunately cancer too. The opposite of obesity is underweight which pertains to a low percentage of body fat.

This is another indication of an unhealthy body which can cause several problems. So, both overweight and underweight must be reversed in order to have optimum health. The question is how would you know that you are overweight or underweight?

Body Mass Index is the Answer

The answer to the question above is body mass index or BMI for a shorter term. Your body mass index tells you that you have a normal body weight or not. If you do not have a normal BMI, it only refers to one of the two things, overweight or underweight. The BMI of a person is calculated based on his weight and height.

These are the two factors that can help determine the BMI of a person. It does not need to undergo a blood test or weigh your overall body to know your BMI. It is simply the use of a tool called a BMI calculator or chart that can give you the interpretation of the calculated BMI.

The Formula and the Process

To know your BMI, simply find out your current weight and height. It is mentioned that they are both factors in knowing the BMI of a person. Basically, the formula is the following: weight (kilograms) divided by height (meters) squared. For instance, if your weight is 50 kilograms and height is 5’4”, the equation is expressed as 50 divided by 1.64592² or 2.71 which equals to 18.45. This is still a normal body mass index but must be improved because lower than that is already considered as underweight.

That is an example of how to determine one’s BMI. It is advisable that you do this process at least three to four times a year so you can have an easier way to identify your body weight. This helps you find out how to improve or maintain your general health which may benefit you in the long run. It is not difficult to use a BMI calculator anyway or if possible turn in to a chart for a much faster result.

Interpretation of Results

If you use a BMI calculator, it is also important to know the meaning or interpretation of the result. How will you know if you are overweight or underweight based on the outcome of calculating your BMI? There are only three things to remember to find out if you need to improve your health or not.

First, if the result of your calculation using a BMI calculator ranges from 25 to 30 then you are obese who need to slow down and find ways to lose body fat. If it is between 25 and 18.5, your BMI is obviously normal which must be maintained. That means lower than 18.5 is already considered as underweight that must be also worked out in order to reach the normal range.