INTRODUCTION
More than 60% of the world struggles with weight loss. They want a way to better their lives, but it’s tough to find a real weight loss program that will deliver results. Therefore, the BMI (Body Mass Index) calculator was founded to help individuals maintain a healthy life. So what exactly is a BMI Calculator?
What is a BMI Calculator?
A BMI Calculator is a tool used to determine the Body Mass Index (BMI) of an individual. The equation is simple.
BMI = (Weight in lbs. * 703) / (Height in Inches) ^2
Example: If a person weighs 220 lbs. and is 72 inches tall then it would be as follows: (220 * 703) / (72)^2…….(154660) / (5184)….which equals 29.8. That person would have a BMI of 29.8.
One of the most common ways to determine whether or not you are overweight is to use a BMI calculator. Most people would have come across these, although they may not know exactly what they are or how they work. It is important that you understand what you are being told when you use one of these tools so that you can interpret the results correctly.
A BMI calculator is simply a computer program that allows you to calculate your Body Mass Index. This of course raises the question of what is your Body Mass Index. It is really just a quick and easy way to determine if you are overweight or not based on your height and your weight. The reason that this is used instead of just your weight is that the difference between what is considered overweight for a person who is five feet tall is not the same as it is for a person who is six feet tall.
Using a BMI calculator is pretty easy; all you really have to know is your weight in pounds and your height in inches. You will enter that number into the calculator and be given your results. The actual formula is pretty simple if you want to work it out yourself you can go online and find it but there are so many free BMI calculators that it is not really worth the effort to do the math yourself.
The results that you will get will be a number that ranges from about zero to fifty, it may be a bit higher if you are significantly overweight but most people will fall in the twenty to thirty range. Anything over twenty five is actually considered to be overweight so keep that in mind. All BMI calculators have charts that will help you to interpret your results.
Body Mass Index, or BMI, is used as the standard of measuring a person’s risk for developing health problems. Based on given results, a person may need further health screenings to check for potentially life-threatening conditions. When calculating BMI, a person’s height and weight are tracked on a universally-accepted, graph chart. This leads to a classification ranging from starvation to morbidly obese. While height and weight are analyzed, Body Mass Index does not disclose a person’s actual percentage of body fat. The goal of using a BMI calculation chart is to give a physician an idea of someone’s body mass index classification score and if necessary, to screen for possible present and future health problems.
Because a body mass number range provides an indicator of how much someone should weigh, many people have the perception that a lower BMI is better. This is only partially true as overweight, obese and morbidly obese people should set goals to enter into the normal category, which is classified as a range of 18.5 to 25. However, having a BMI lower than 18.5 is unhealthy and classifies persons either into the underweight or starvation categories. This could indicate that medical conditions such as anorexia, malnutrition or absorption deficiencies may be present and should be immediately addressed by a qualified physician.
On the opposite end of the spectrum, classifications from overweight to morbidly obese may indicate immediate health issues. Being overweight is having a BMI ranging from 26 to 30; obese ranges from 31-40 and morbidly obese is any body mass index number greater than 40.
It is important to know there are different BMI charts for adults and children. In adults, Body Mass Index is calculated based on height and weight, whereas children’s BMI is calculated based on age and gender. Children’s body mass index charts allows for the comparison of each child against his or her peers. The goal is to be as close to the 50 percent range as possible, with extreme deviations requiring immediate physician attention.
No matter what age, people with a high BMI may be endangering themselves. A body mass index in the overweight, obese or morbidly obese categories may be a warning that diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, sleep disorders, joint stress or other issues may be present. If not addressed and rectified, continued obesity may lead to early mortality. Without losing muscle mass, the only way to obtain a lower body mass index score is to lose weight.
BMI CHART
Our health depends on good nutrition, daily activity as well as cheerful state of mind. However, it is essential that you have a precise picture of your overall health so that you can keep a good track on your body fat and its effects. In this scenario, a BMI chart comes in handy. BMI helps in determining your obesity scale. This chart will keep a plot on your weight and height to get your approximate Body Mass Index.
It is difficult to live a normal life if you are overweight. Today, people are so engrossed in earning money that they do not get time to keep a check on their eating habits, and this leads to increase in their cholesterol level. Moreover, it also gives rise to certain life threatening diseases like heart attack, stroke and diabetes. To find out where you exactly stand in this obesity scale, Body Mass Index chart plays a significant role.
Usually people with heavy weight have BMI between 25 and 29.9, whereas the underweight people have BMI somewhere around 18.5. Once you are aware of the BMI, you can change your lifestyle into a healthy one so as to ensure good health.
BMI chart is available for both the sexes–men as well as women. It is a reflection of a state of the body composition. People who are either overweight or underweight can take benefits of these charts so that your doctor can give you the right advice and guidance to come to a normal level.
BMI CALCULATION
Once you know your BMI, just compare it to the chart below. Please note that a high BMI does not mean that you are at risk. Consult a doctor if you’re not sure.
| BMI Range | Status |
|---|---|
| Below 18.5 | Underweight |
| 18.5 to 24.9 | Normal |
| 25-29.9 | Overweight |
| 30 and above | Obese |
Scientific studies have shown that obese people are more prone to heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes and a score of related problems. As more and more people become aware of these facts, everyone is after exercise machines and remedies for being overweight. Before you plunge into any routine, you must know whether you are within the range of healthy weight, overweight, obese or morbidly obese. In order to know this, you must calculate your Body Mass Index or BMI.
The interpretation is simple. The chart has divided all BMIs into four categories. The lowest is the group that is underweight. Then you have the category under healthy weight. Here also you can see where you stand. It is better to note whether you are closer to the overweight range or towards the underweight group. Then you have the group of people who are obese. Finally you have the extremely obese lot.
When you know that you are obese, you must see your doctor and tell him what you have observed.
After examining you, if he finds that you have any ailments such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol or diabetes he will first treat you with appropriate medication. Also, he will give you an exercise routine if you need one. Then you need to follow his recommendations. However, prevention is better than cure. If you are in the healthy area at present according to BMI, take care with your diet. Engage in regular exercise. If possible, walk to your office in the morning and walk back in the evening. You can continue to have a good BMI.
BMI Calculator for Children
Are you one of those parents who think that finding a BMI calculator for children is a must in order to get their accurate Body Mass Index? If you are, then you need to realize that there is no such thing as a special type of calculator for kids.
The Reason why you don’t need a special calculator is because the formula that is being used to compute for a person’s body mass index is universal. It can and should be used on anyone regardless of their age or gender. This is the reason why it is fair to believe that there is no such thing as a special type of calculator for this type of computation.
The Special Measures When Computing for Your Kids’ Body Mass Index
Even though you don’t really need a special type of calculator for the job, this does not mean that the guidelines that you are going to follow when it comes to interpreting the outcomes do not change.
After you have calculated the Body Mass Index of your children, the next thing that you need to do is to find or download a BMI-for-age chart. You need to remember that there is a separate chart for the male and female categories. You need to secure a chart that is meant to be used on your kids’ gender.
The column located in the leftmost part of the chart is where you should plot the age of your child. It is calibrated in months, which are the reason why you need to convert your kids’ ages in months in order to get an accurate result. You will then need to find and plot the Body Mass Index of your kids in the preceding columns. Here is how you can interpret the results once you are done plotting the age and the Body Mass Index of your kids.
| A BMI Percentile of: | Suggests that a kid is: |
|---|---|
| below 5th Percentile | Your kid is underweight |
| 5th-85th Percentile | Your kid is of normal weight |
| 85th-95th Percentile | Your kids is overweight |
| > 95th Percentile | Your kid is obese |
As you can see, it is fairly easy to interpret the results. The accuracy of your interpretation depends on the accuracy of how you measure your kids’ height and weight. You don’t really need a special type of BMI calculator for children in order to ensure this one.
CONCLUSION
The BMI is here to help you guide you down and up your weighing scales. You need but just search, click and calculate and you will see the most accurate information regarding your most important treasure, your health.
Although there are a number of different factors which can be used in order to determine your overall health, the Body Mass Index formula is one that will continue to be used regularly. It’s an easy number for you to come up with by using an online calculator and they can give you an overview of your health at a glance.