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Before we get to the actual calculation, lets discuss what BMI is. BMI stands for the body mass index. This is a tool that is used to determine if a person is at a normal weight for his or her height.

BMI is one of the first thing that is used to calculate whether someone is overweight or not, however it is not the only or final tool. The disadvantage with using BMI to determine if someone is overweight is that that is does not distinguish between weight from muscle or weight from fat. Other tools have to be used to calculate the amount of fat in a person’s body. For people who aren’t very muscular it is a very good indication of whether someone is overweight, underweight, obese or normal.

To calculate the BMI you will need to have a persons weight and their height. The basic formula is weight divided by height squared, or kg/m2. You simply take your height in meters and square it which means you take the number of meters times itself.  Then divide that number into your weight in kilograms

For example :

To determine the BMI of someone who stands at 1.7 meters tall who weights 91 kilograms, we divide the weight by the height squared, or 91 divided by 2.89.  That gives us the result of about 31.  This individual is classified as obese.  How do I know that?

A BMI of 18.5 or below indicates an underweight person. The normal weight range is from 18.5 to 24.9. Overweight people will have a BMI of 25 to 29.9.  A BMI of 30 or greater indicates obesity. So a person with a BMI of 31 is in the obese range, but not by much.  By calculating BMI again with different weights, you can see that the person would only need to lose 5 kilograms, or about 11 pounds, to no longer be obese, but merely overweight.  And a loss of 19 kilograms, or about 42 pounds, will put this person within a normal weight range.  Calculating BMI to determine how much weight one should lose can be a big help for someone who’s not sure.

If you don’t know how to convert to kilograms or meters, simply take your weight in pounds times 4.88.  Then divide that number by your height in feet, squared.  So a 200 pound person who is 6 feet tall:  976 divided by 36 = 27.1.  After calculating BMI, it’s clear this person is within a normal and healthy weight range.

Knowing your BMI can be a huge help if you are unsure whether you are overweight or normal. You will also have an idea of how much weight you need to lose weight to be in your desired weight range.

If you are overweight and you need to get my Body Mass Index where it should be, here is a great resource to help you get there.

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