What Is a Healthy BMI? A List of the Ranges ![]() If math isn’t your forte, you can opt to use the CDC’s BMI calculator to figure out your BMI. Weight divided by height squared: 140/3,969 =. ![]() Height in inches squared: 63 x 63 = 3,969.If you live in the United States and don’t use the metric system, you can also take your height in inches squared, divide that by your weight in pounds, and multiply by 703.įor example, for a woman who is 140 pounds (lb) and 63 inches (in) tall, we can calculate her BMI this way: To calculate your BMI, take your weight in kilograms (kg) divided by the square of your height in meters (m). RELATED: How Obesity and Heart Disease Are Connected Calculating Your BMI Research shows that in young adults, obesity may even be to blame for an increase in rates of colorectal, endometrial, gallbladder, kidney, multiple myeloma, and pancreatic cancer. If you’re an adult, maintaining a normal BMI is crucial for your future health, because a high BMI has been linked to an increased risk of diseases such as heart disease and type 2 diabetes, according to the CDC. Overall, the South has the highest prevalence of obesity, while the West and Northeast have the lowest rates, according to the CDC. Middle-aged adults (ages 40 to 59) are at the greatest risk for the disease, followed by adults ages 60 and older, and young adults ages 20 to 39. Non-Hispanic Black people are the most likely to be obese, followed by Hispanics, Caucasians, and non-Hispanic Asian people. More than 40 percent of American adults are obese, according to the CDC. A person who is obese paid $1,861 per year more in medical costs than someone with a normal weight. They also estimate that in 2019, obesity cost the United States $173 billion in healthcare. Using this approach, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that more than 4 out of every 10 American adults are obese. What Is the Definition of BMI?īMI is a common measure of body weight, and one medical professionals traditionally used to categorize people as having a normal weight, overweight, or obesity. If you’re concerned about your BMI or wondering where you fall, consider this your comprehensive guide to what BMI means how to calculate your number what a low, normal, or high BMI is and why the measurement isn't without its downsides. If your healthcare team uses BMI as a measure of health, it’s important to have a nuanced discussion with them to understand how they use it in their practice to inform next steps, lifestyle suggestions, or medical interventions - and to make sure you’re comfortable with that. ![]() That’s why, as an article in Social Theory & Health put it, “the contemporary push towards the standardization of obesity measurement and desire to link body weight and health is not indicative of BMI’s ability to accurately diagnose obesity in individuals or populations.” In addition, this has led to the stigmatization of larger bodies, which is a health hazard in itself. In addition, some people may have normal BMIs but be struggling with high blood pressure or conditions like prediabetes. Many people have bodies at higher “overweight” ranges of the BMI scale but also have blood pressure, blood sugar, and other important health measures that are perfectly healthy. It’s a flawed calculation, the AMA and other experts say, because it doesn’t give the entire picture of your health. The American Medical Association (AMA), for example, updated their policy recommendations in June 2023, stating that physicians should take risk factors such as weight circumference and genetics into account when assessing a person’s weight status and not rely solely on BMI. Today, though, the BMI scale has entered a storm of controversy and fallen out of favor in many health circles. Sounds simple enough, right?Īt one point, it was: Clinicians and patients would use that calculation as a determinant of health. Those numbers are then plugged into a formula that gives you your body mass index, or BMI. As soon as you walk into the examination room at the doctor’s office, you’re asked to step on a scale for your weight and height.
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