What is Body Mass Index (BMI)?

Body mass index (BMI) is a measure that uses your height and weight to determine if your weight is healthy.

The BMI calculation divides an adult's weight in kilograms by their height in meters squared. For example, a BMI of 25 means 25 kg/m2.

BMI ranges

For most adults, the ideal BMI is in the range of 18.5 to 24.9.

For children and youth ages 2 to 18, the BMI calculation takes into account age and sex, as well as height and weight.

If your BMI is:

• below 18.5 – you are in the underweight range
• between 18.5 and 24.9 – you are in the healthy weight range
• between 25 and 29.9 – you are in the overweight range
• 30 or more – you are in the obese range

Accuracy of BMI

BMI takes into account natural variations in body shape, giving a healthy weight range for a given height.

In addition to measuring your BMI, health professionals may consider other factors to determine whether you are at a healthy weight.

Muscle is much denser than fat, so very muscular people may be at a healthy weight even though their BMI is classified as obese.

Your ethnic group can also affect your risk of certain health problems. For example, adults of South Asian descent may have a higher risk of certain health problems, such as diabetes, with a BMI of 23, which is generally considered healthy.

Pregnant women should not use BMI. Seek advice from your midwife or GP if you are worried about your weight.

BMI can be calculated and monitored using smart scales . These smart devices use Bluetooth technology to synchronize the data from the measurements they take with a mobile app that calculates BMI and provides various details about fitness and health. This is quite a convenient way to track and measure BMI.

Smart scales can also measure other fitness metrics, such as body fat, muscle mass ratio and body water. This allows people to have a complete overview of their health and make adjustments if necessary.

In today's world, when nutrition and lifestyle are changing, BMI measurement is important for controlling weight and maintaining health. By using smart scales , fitness trackers and smart watches , this becomes even easier and more convenient.

Source: https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/educational/lose_wt/BMI/bmicalc.htm