By using this site, you agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
Accept
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
  • Health
    • Mental Health
    Health
    Healthcare organizations are operating on slimmer profit margins than ever. One report in August showed that they are even lower than the beginning of the…
    Show More
    Top News
    benefits of using protein powder to build muscles
    Protein Powder for Muscle Mass: Everything You Need to Know
    December 12, 2021
    changes brought on by blockchain in healthcare
    Technology In The Healthcare Industry
    March 28, 2022
    What Does Core Body Temperature Say About Health?
    August 17, 2022
    Latest News
    7 Most Common Healthcare Accreditation Programs: Which Should You Use?
    August 20, 2025
    Hospital Pest Control and the Fight Against Superbugs
    August 20, 2025
    Hygiene Beyond The Clinic: Attention To Overlooked Non-Clinical Spaces
    August 13, 2025
    5 Steps to a Promising Career as a Healthcare Administrator
    August 3, 2025
  • Policy and Law
    • Global Healthcare
    • Medical Ethics
    Policy and Law
    Get the latest updates about Insurance policies and Laws in the Healthcare industry for different geographical locations.
    Show More
    Top News
    Media Begin Focus on Next Iteration of ACA
    December 13, 2012
    Washington State Care
    Using Homecare for Positive Change in Healthcare
    August 14, 2017
    Do Electronic Health Records Reduce Malpractice Claims?
    February 2, 2013
    Latest News
    How Social Security Disability Shapes Access to Care and Everyday Health
    August 22, 2025
    How a DUI Lawyer Can Help When Your Future Health Feels Uncertain
    August 22, 2025
    How One Fall Can Lead to a Long Road of Medical Complications
    August 22, 2025
    How IT and Marketing Teams Can Collaborate to Protect Patient Trust
    July 17, 2025
  • Medical Innovations
  • News
  • Wellness
  • Tech
Search
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Reading: Understanding Body Mass Index [infographic]
Share
Notification Show More
Font ResizerAa
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
Font ResizerAa
Search
Follow US
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Health Works Collective > Wellness > Understanding Body Mass Index [infographic]
Wellness

Understanding Body Mass Index [infographic]

Johnny Wright
Johnny Wright
Share
6 Min Read
Know your body mass index
SHARE

Weight is usually a huge concern in today?s society as it has become like a plague where people are too concerned with the number on a weighing scale which they believe tells a story about them being healthy or unhealthy. However, for individuals wishing to look at their health, there is a need for them to look at their weight about other metrics such as the body mass index. BMI or Body Mass Index is an estimation of one?s body fat that may be calculated using the height and weight of an individual. For individuals who are health conscious, they also need to check on their body composition, which is the proportion of one?s body fat tissue which they normally have in their bodies, relative to the lean tissue, i.e., organs and muscles.

Contents
  • History of BMI
  • How Is BMI Calculated and Interpreted?
  • Is BMI An Accurate Measure Of Weight And Health?

History of BMI

The idea of Body Mass Index was first formulated into a concept by a Belgian Mathematician and scientist who was known as Lambert Adolphe Jacques Quetelet in the early 1800s. He was a man who was well learned as he understood different fields such as statistical theory, astronomy, and criminology. However, he was able to achieve immortality when he came up with the concept of the correlation of the human height to their weight which is known today as the Quetelet Index.

How Is BMI Calculated and Interpreted?

The calculation

of BMI is not a hard task to do as one just merely needs to solve it as it is one of the most straightforward math equations very invented in the history of mathematics. The basic formula for calculating one?s BMI is weight (in ponds)/ [height (in inches)*(in inches)]*703. After getting the results, they are then compared against a certain standard table which can evaluate one?s weight as compared to their height and see if they have a healthy body mass index. The table is normally standard regarding gender aged form twenty years and above. However, individuals need to understand that this is not applicable to children and teenagers as their calculations typically are more complex about their age and sex. One needs to see the BMI Percentile Calculator for teenagers and children to see the difference. However, the standard table compiled by the World Health Organization for adults is straightforward and is explained below:

More Read

Are Melodic Intonation Therapy and Rhythmic Mechanisms Enough to Legitimize Music Therapy?
Stroke Before 50 Not Good for Long Term Health
90+ Population Growing
Physical And Mental Wellbeing: 5 Life-Changing Ways To Balance Both
Glucose Monitoring Research Drives More Promises Than Answers
  • BMI below 18.5= Underweight
  • BMI between 18.5 and 24.9= Normal Weight
  • BMI between 25.0 and 29.9= Overweight
  • BMI of 30.0 and over= Obese

Using the table, an example is given of a lady who is 5foot 5inches tall and has a weight of 150 pounds. Using the formula to calculate one?s BMI then after the calculation one would get 24.96 as the BMI of the individual. This is at the top of the normal range which is also short of being considered as overweight.

Is BMI An Accurate Measure Of Weight And Health?

The beast thing about BMI is in its simplicity as one need not involve and complicated nor expensive equipment in order to take the measurements. The calculations are normally basic arithmetic and the standard table is also easy to acquire. This is a good screening tool that may be used to help look for any possible weight issues that may arise in adults that allows for a range for healthy weight and offers in most cases for variables and personal variance as per the nature of the body. However, that is as far as the formula goes and it is not efficient to give diagnosis by itself as an individual may be characterized as being overweight by the BMI machine, yet they may not actually be overweight in real sense. In terms of gender, women have been known to have more fat as compare to the men naturally which then results in them having a high BMI that does not necessarily mean that they have an unhealthy weight as compared to a man who has a low BMI. In addition, older individuals normally have a high BMI as compared to younger individuals, or even in comparison with their BMI during their younger years as the change does not necessarily mean that there is a problem. One needs to understand that BMI deals with weight and not the degree of fatness in an individual, and weight does not originate from fat. There are various factors to be considered such as genetics, blood pressure and degree of physical activity which may affect an individual?s BMI.

In summary, BMI is a good basic tool to use just to see if there is a need for one to keep healthy or even change their diet. One may use it just to have a general understanding of how healthy they are. Infographic published on Renewbariatrics

TAGGED:BMIbody mass index
Share This Article
Facebook Copy Link Print
Share

Stay Connected

1.5kFollowersLike
4.5kFollowersFollow
2.8kFollowersPin
136kSubscribersSubscribe

Latest News

travel nurse in north carolina
Balancing Speed and Scope: Choosing the Nursing Degree That Fits Your Goals
Nursing
September 1, 2025
intimacy
How to Keep Intimacy Comfortable as You Age
Relationship and Lifestyle Senior Care
September 1, 2025
engineer fitting prosthetic arm
How Social Security Disability Shapes Access to Care and Everyday Health
Health care
August 20, 2025
a woman explaining the document
How a DUI Lawyer Can Help When Your Future Health Feels Uncertain
Public Health
August 20, 2025

You Might also Like

mHealth on The Colbert Report: Dr. Eric Topol [VIDEO]

March 28, 2013
FitnessHealth careWellness

The Three Best Pelvic Floor Exercises Not To Miss

April 7, 2020
walking benefits your mental health
Mental HealthWellness

How Walking Can Help Reduce Stress and Improve Mental Health

January 8, 2023
Home HealthWellness

Stay Calm and Be Well with These Five Great Tips

October 5, 2019
Subscribe
Subscribe to our newsletter to get our newest articles instantly!
Follow US
© 2008-2025 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
Welcome Back!

Sign in to your account

Username or Email Address
Password

Lost your password?