Body Mass Index (BMI)

Share>> Print >>

Carrying excess weight affects more than your appearance. It’s also associated with a long list of troubling medical conditions, many of them life-threatening.

They include high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, coronary heart disease, stroke, gallbladder disease, osteoarthritis, sleep apnea and respiratory problems, and even some cancers (breast, endometrial, colon).

Using your weight and height to calculate your body mass index (BMI) helps you determine how close you are to your ideal weight. A BMI greater than 25 indicates you are overweight, while a BMI above 30 indicates obesity.

 

How is BMI calculated?

BMI = weight (kg) / height squared (m2)

OR

BMI = weight (pounds) x 703/height squared (inches2)

 

For additional healthy weight maintenance and lifestyle resources, visit the following helpful Web sites (US only):
Did you find this article helpful? Your vote counts!Rating this ‘thumbs up’ means you’d like to see more of this type of information and you want others to know they should view it. Rating this ‘Thumbs down’ means you don’t recommend this type of information. Both ratings will be used to decide future site content.
I like this and want to see more like it This isn’t helpful, I don’t want to see more like it