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
    improving patient experience
    6 Ways to Improve Patient Satisfaction Within Hospitals
    December 1, 2021
    degree for healthcare job
    What Are The Health Benefits Of Having A Degree?
    March 9, 2022
    custom software development is changing healthcare
    Digital Customer Journey Mapping and its Importance for Healthcare
    July 21, 2022
    Latest News
    Grounded Healing: A Natural Ally for Sustainable Healthcare Systems
    May 16, 2025
    Learn how to Renew your Medical Card in West Virginia
    May 16, 2025
    Choosing the Right Supplement Manufacturer for Your Brand
    May 1, 2025
    Engineering Temporary Hospitals for Extreme Weather
    April 24, 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
    Can Thinking Younger Make You Live Longer?
    April 20, 2011
    Image
    Obesity’s Outlook Unchanged
    June 13, 2011
    When It’s An Emergency Elderly Not Treated As Well in Hospitals
    July 16, 2011
    Latest News
    Building Smarter Care Teams: Aligning Roles, Structure, and Clinical Expertise
    May 18, 2025
    The Critical Role of Healthcare in Personal Injury Recovery: A Comprehensive Guide for Victims
    May 14, 2025
    The Backbone of Successful Trials: Clinical Data Management
    April 28, 2025
    Advancing Your Healthcare Career through Education and Specialization
    April 16, 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
Last updated: February 5, 2021 8:59 am
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 BMIHow 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

health research
Researchers Seek Link Between Your Health and Your Surname
Will Eating Chocolate Increase Your Chances For A Nobel Prize?
Choosing Between A Psychologist and A Psychiatrist For Treating Depression
How To Eat A Healthy Diet For A Thriving Lifestyle
Selecting Pre-Workout Supplements That Align with Your Fitness Goals
  • 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

Clinical Expertise
Building Smarter Care Teams: Aligning Roles, Structure, and Clinical Expertise
Health care
May 18, 2025
Grounded Healing: A Natural Ally for Sustainable Healthcare Systems
Grounded Healing: A Natural Ally for Sustainable Healthcare Systems
Health
May 15, 2025
Learn how to Renew your Medical Card in West Virginia
Learn how to Renew your Medical Card in West Virginia
Health
May 15, 2025
Dr. Klaus Rentrop Shares Acute Myocardial Infarction heart treatment
Dr. Klaus Rentrop Shares Acute Myocardial Infarction
Cardiology
May 13, 2025

You Might also Like

Advanced Sun Protection Strategies for Seniors

July 24, 2013

Healthcare Innovation: Moving from Stewardship to Leadership

September 9, 2012
hand hygiene
TechnologyWellness

Pump, Rub, Clean, Repeat: Save Lives with Proper Hand Hygiene

August 17, 2013
organic food nutrition
Wellness

Is Organic Food More Nutritious?

May 29, 2013
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?