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BMI Basics

  • Marlon Mata
  • April 18, 2011

We have been hearing news reports, health experts, doctors, and probably that neighbor of yours going on a diet about BMI. What is BM? How does it work? Is it important in your health?

Body Mass Index, or BMI, is a measuring system used to tell how much fat is in a person. It is also the preferred method to use when calculating a person’s obesity level. It provides a numerical value for nutritionists and dieticians to work on when they formulate dieting plans.

When calculating your BMI on your own, you don’t need to do complex computations. Just follow these simple steps, and you will get your magic number (I have included the formula for your reference):

BMI =
( lbs/inches² )
(weight in pounds * 703 )
””””””””””””
height in inches²

1. Measure your weight, in pounds, on a weighing scale. Record your weight. Let us say, for example, you weigh 300 pounds on the scale. So we write down 300 on paper.

2. Measure your height in inches. Record your height. If you are six foot nine inches, then your height is 81 inches.

3. Get the square of your height. You do that by multiplying it by itself. By calculating your height, you get 6,561.

BMI Basics4. Divide your weight, 300 pounds, by your height squared, 6,561 inches. The final equation should appear like this: 300/ 6.561 = 0.04572.

5. After that, multiply your answer in the previous step by 703. Your equation should look like this: 0.04572 X 703 = 32.1411, or 32.

6. Your Body Mass Index is 32. By looking at the BMI chart, you would see that you would be rated as obese (between the ranges of 30 to 35).

Results like these provide clues for dieticians as they treat their patients. Through this process, they can tell if the plan they are developing is for weight reduction or for weight gain. While there are several other factors that can affect a person’s weight, the BMI is one of the first things that you can look into.

Of course, self-treatment is not advisable. Even if you found out that you are obese, you should consult a doctor or licensed dietician for additional guidance. Only they can tell what diet or health program that they can do for you.

Do you know how to calculate your BMI?

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