Body Mass Index

The Body Mass Index, or BMI, are one of the most important things that determines your health. It has a scale from about 18.5 to over 30. Having less than an 18.5 BMI is considered being underweight, while having more than a 30 BMI is considered being obese.

However, these scales are not truly accurate. The standard scale for normal weight is from 18.5 to 24.9, but different races have different ranges in BMI. For example, Asian populations should narrow their normal range of weight from 18.5 to 23. Asian bodies tend to be a lot smaller than the bodies of other races. As a result, their BMI numbers will shrink in order to have accurate information about their body weight.

Also, BMI calculations are not as accurate because it does not take muscle into consideration. For example, Arnold Schwarzenegger, according to the BMI calculations, is considered obese. But as many people know, Mr. Schwarzenegger is not obese. Most of it is probably because of his heavy muscles that are weighing him down. So the Body Mass Index can give someone an idea on where they stand, but it is not entirely accurate. Some people may find out that they are overweight or obese, but keep in mind that their race or ethnicity and muscle is not taken into consideration when calculating the BMI.

Find your BMI!

1) Find your height in inches or centimeters.
2) Click whether you want to use the English system, or the Metric system.
3) A small window will pop up. Enter in your weight in pounds. (Kilograms if you chose the Metric system).
4) Then enter in your height in inches. (Centimeters if you chose the Metric system).
5) Another small window will pop up, showing your BMI.
6) Click 'OK' and find out where your BMI lies in the scale below.