Calculate your Body Mass Index
| BMI |
What your Body Mass Index result indicates |
Less than 18.5 |
Underweight
Your BMI indicates you are underweight. You may have always been on the thin side, however it is especially important to discuss your weight with your doctor if:
- You have had an unexplained weight loss of 10 or more pounds in the past year
- You think you are "overweight"
- You are trying to gain weight and cannot
|
18.5-24.9 |
Acceptable
Congratulations, you are at a healthy weight. Remember it is important to maintain your current weight and avoid gaining extra pounds. |
25-27.5 |
Overweight
Weights in this range may carry a health risk. It is especially important to consider losing 5-10 pounds if you fall into this range and have one of the following:
- Diabetes, heart disease or high blood pressure
- A family history of diabetes or heart disease
- You are apple shaped
|
30 + |
Obese
You can gain significant health benefits by losing weight. Start by setting realistic goals. A weight loss of 10-20 pounds can improve your health. |
Lean Body Weight refers to the sum of the weight of your bones, muscles and organs... basically the sum of everything other than fat in your body. Because BMI does not show the difference between fat and muscle, it does not always accurately predict when weight could lead to health problems. For example, someone with a lot of muscle (such as a body builder) may have a BMI in the unhealthy range, but still be healthy and have little risk of developing diabetes or having a heart attack. For the average male, lean weight is about 80 percent of the total body weight and fat weight is 20 percent. Females have about 75 percent lean and 25 percent fat weight proportions.
