Is your BMI too high?

Your Body Mass Index and You

BMI stands for Body Mass Index. Don't be frightened if the doc tells you your BMI is too high. It's just another way of telling you that you're overweight! The BMI is a way of determining how overweight or underweight a person is based on a simple calculation.

The calculation takes your weight multiplied by your height in inches (squared), and then multiplied by 703. The BMI calculation is somewhat of a flawed measurement of weight. For your average individual, it's fairly accurate at determining whether or not he or she is overweight, obese, or underweight. But for individuals who have more than your average amount of muscle mass, it's not accurate. The calcuation only takes entire bodyweight into consideration, without any notice of bodyfat percentage and muscle mass.

None the less, it's still used so here's what the actual numbers mean.

A BMI under 18 means you're overweight.
A BMI betwen 18.5 and 18.0 suggests you are thin for your weight.
A BMI between 18.6 and 24.9 suggests you're at a healthy weight.
A BMI between 25 and 29.9 suggests you're overweight.
And a BMI over 30 suggests you're obese.

We suggest to forget BMI as a means to determine your weight status. Knowing your bodyfat percentage is the best measurement of bodyfat levels.