How to Calculate Your Body Mass Index (BMI)

To a number of people, controlling weight is nothing beyond sounding trim and fit. In fact losing weight such as one would look as an hourglass figure or having shed all the surplus fat is indeed not very easy. Weight loss is much more attributed to putting a certain restrictive limit on the amount of calories intake.

Maintain weight that is right for the sound health and smooth working of your body can be calculated from your Body Mass Index (BMI) prior to engaging in a physical activity or weight loss routine.

Defining BMI — Body Mass Index

“The ratio between your height and weight is referred to as Body Mass Index.” BMI is also called “the Quetelet Index”. It is an ideal way to measure body weight versus a person’s height. Body Mass Index (BMI) is a typical method of determining if an individual is obese, underweight, or weighs within the acceptable (normal) range with a given height. Body Mass Indices also apply advantageously in the following setting:

• Dietary schedules

If you have made up your mind to lose those extra pounds by dieting technique or to gather mass via a specialized diet program, a calculation of BMI would help you to adhere to the diet plan most suitable or result oriented for you.

• Workout routines

Physical workouts help you adjust your weight. In this regard Body Mass Index (BMI) will credibly help you to chalk out a comprehensive exercise plan.

• Social applications

Controlling one’s weight sometimes poses to be a social issue as well. BMI can also be employed to by health agencies to roughly assess the overall weight of a certain population.

How to Calculate BMI?

As we know from its definition that BMI is a ratio expression, which implies that it can be calculated by a simple process of division. As far as its units are concerned, BMI value can be both be processed in English or metric units. Following data will be prerequisite to determine your BMI value:

• BMI chart
• Weighing scale
• Calculator or scrap paper
• Body height scale or Tape measure

Instructions

• Calculate values of your weight and height beforehand. Ensure that you were using the right units against both physical parameters. For example, when you are taking weight in pounds, use feet or inches for height. Similarly, use meters for height against kilograms for weight.

• Now divide the units of weight by those of the square of the height.

• While you are calculating BMI under the English or US system of measuring values, multiply weight by a constant before dividing it by the square of the height. For instance, in case of inches, multiply the weight by 703. Similarly, for feet, multiply the weight by 4.88.

Remember that BMI gives you the formula for calculating the ratio of your height to your weight; it has nothing to do with numerous related factors such as the muscle mass or the bone mass. The most you can derive from this formula is to consider the Body Mass Index (BMI) a quick measure to help you inform on how heavy or light you are from the supposed value.