Body Mass Index, BMI Index using BMI Calculator

Body Mass Index (BMI) is a guide to predict your body fat based on your height and weight. BMI correlates height and weight and gives a better idea of healthy body size. By BMI you can determine whether you are of average weight, overweight or obese. The higher the BMI value, the greater the risk to develop health problems. People with an increased BMI value are at increased risk of stroke, heart disease, type-2 diabetes and several types of cancers.

Divide your weight in kilogram by square of your height in meters (metres). You can calculate your BMI from the following:

[To convert kilogram to pound, multiply by 2.2. 1kg = 2.2 lbs]

You can calculate your BMI values and understand the meaning as following:

BMI & Life Span or Survival

According to the Daily Mail report (March 2009), the researchers at Oxford University Professors Gary Whitlock and Richard Peto found that in countries like Britain and America, weighing a 30% more than the optimum shortens lifespan by about three years. The study revealed the following:

BMI of 25: each additional 5 units corresponded with a 40% increase in deaths from heart and artery diseases.

BMI of 30-35: each additional 5 units corresponded with a 60% and 120% from diabetes and liver or kidney disease, 10% more from cancer, and 20% rise from lung disease. Cut lifespan by between two and four years.

BMI of 40-45: Cut lifespan by ten years comparable to smoking

Baby BMI has become important in recent times due to increasing number of overweight children and adolescents. Usually Pediatricians do not look into baby's BMI. Generally height and weight of a baby are considered to determine if a baby is of normal weight. But this does not give a correct picture.

If suppose a child weight is at the 45th percentile for his age. This weight is considered normal for an average height child, but if the child is too thin or too heavy, then he cannot be said to be healthy. Therefore it is important to consider baby's BMI instead of simply his height and weight, to identify children who are at risk of weight problems when they grow. Such children can be taught healthy eating and exercise habits.

The above calculator for BMI can be used for babies as an approximation because their BMI changes as their age. From 2 years of age, the baby's BMI gradually drops down. At this age they become more active and become thin, hence baby BMI decreases. The baby BMI grows gradually to adulthood from the age of 5. Note that if the BMI starts increasing at an early age, then such children are at risk of weight problems when they grow.

The BMI in children is called BMI for age. The baby's health is judged not by the actual BMI value, but on the percentile of the BMI according to age and gender.

Boys' Body Mass Index-For-Age Percentiles (2 to 20 years):
BMI = Weight (kg)/(Height [cm])2 x 10,000
BMI = Weight (lb)/(Height [in])2 x 703

The meaning of BMI percentiles is given below:

Normally BMI decreases during the preschool years, then increases as he (she) gets older. If your child is in the 68th percentile, then this means that compared to children of the same gender and age, 68% have a lower BMI.

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