Body Mass Index (BMI) is an important indicator that assesses the risks associated with having too much or too little weight. Even a small amount of excess or insufficient weight can lead to serious health issues. BMI is a globally recognised method for calculating an individual's weight in relation to their height.
Being a straightforward and hassle-free way to keep an eye on your health status, several various methods for estimating BMI have risen to relevance. Far from perfect, BMI offers a simple gauge of whether your weight might cause a problem. Followingly, this detailed overview discusses how to find BMI along with other crucial aspects.
What Do You Need to Calculate to Find Body Mass Index?
The calculation of BMI only requires the following details:
●Height: Use a measuring tape or a stadiometer to precisely estimate your height. Stand straight from your feet and measure from the floor to the top of your head.
●Weight: You can use any standard scale to measure your weight. Ensure to do this in the first thing in the morning before eating or drinking anything to get the most accurate results.
How to Find the BMI of a Person Offline?
To calculate BMI in an offline way, you can use either of the following formulas:
●International: Weight (Kilograms) / Height (metres)² = BMI
●Imperial System: (Weight (lbs)/Height (Inches)²) *703 = BMI
Most health professionals use the formula with kg and metre as it is comprehensively accepted. To find BMI, you can adhere to the following steps:
●Step 1: Multiply your height by itself.
●Step 2: Next, divide your weight with the squared height.
●Step 3: Interpret the result using the table.
BMI Level Weight Status
Less than 18.5 Underweight
Between 18.5 and 24.9 Normal weight
Between 25 and 29.9 Overweight
More than 30 Obese
For example, let's assume your weight is 72 kg and height is 1.6 metres. Then, the process on how to find BMI will be:
●72/ (1.6)² = 28.12
28.12 is your BMI. That means you fall in the overweight range.
How to Find Out BMI Online?
If you do not want to manually find the Body Mass Index, then you can take the help of the market-available digital calculators, like the Star Health BMI calculator. All you have to do is enter your weight and height in the tool and click on 'Submit'; it will do the rest. These tools are convenient and can save you a lot of time and effort. However, it is still important to understand the basic steps for estimating your BMI manually if you need it.
Why is BMI Important?
BMI is a standardised process that is recognised by health organisations around the world for international health assessments and comparisons. Since it requires two basic pieces of information, anyone can calculate BMI without the need for any special equipment or degree. The following are certain reasons that make BMI so important:
●Helps to Assess Your Health
Body Mass Index is a quick and effective way to perform an overall health screening. It efficiently assesses health risks associated with higher body fat. BMI serves as an early detection of many chronic diseases, such as high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, and certain cancers.
●Prevents Chronic Health Conditions
Maintaining a healthy BMI can lower the risk of chronic diseases. It can also improve your quality of life. Early evaluation of BMI highlights the importance of making lifestyle changes, like exercising and eating better, which can significantly support your long-term health.
●Help Your Lose or Gain Weight
People who want to track their weight gain or loss over time often choose to check their BMI to gain insight into their current status and curate their routine accordingly.
●Aid in Receiving Personalised Treatment
Understanding your BMI can help you make informed health decisions. You can reach out to your clinical expert with the data to tailor an effective health plan.
●Simple and Practical Process
BMI does not require expensive tests or equipment. It is widely used in both clinical settings and public health research due to its ease of use and accessibility.
Limitations of BMI
While BMI is undoubtedly an important tool, it does have certain limitations:
●BMI finder tools only provide a rough estimate of your health fat. It fails to monitor it directly. Therefore, a person with a 'normal BMI' can also have high body fat, and a person with a 'high BMI' can have low body fat.
●While BMI plays a key role in health screening, it should not be used as a definitive decision-maker. BMI fails to take into account muscle mass, fat distribution, age and activity level, which also play key roles in providing a more accurate health measurement.
●BMI thresholds may differ among ethnic groups because of variations in body composition. For instance, studies show that individuals of Asian descent face health risks, like diabetes or heart disease, at a lower BMI compared to those of European descent. Additionally, African or Polynesian populations generally have higher muscle mass, which can influence BMI calculations.
What are the things to keep in mind when finding BMI?
Since this overview speaks on how to find body mass index, individuals should keep in mind the following aspects:
●BMI is not the only health measure; there are various health measurements that work similarly to BMI.
●The data on the Body Mass Index can be misleading.
●It is wiser to look at BMI as a trend rather than determining your health using a single number.
Final Words
Summing up, we hope this detailed overview of how to find BMI using different tools has met all your queries. Body Mass Index helps to determine the weight of your body proportionate to your height. Knowing BMI allows individuals to combat chronic health risks at an early stage. You can either calculate the BMI on your own, or opt for any digital BMI calculator to measure your BMI right away.
HELP CENTRE
<p>We’re Star Health. We offer the coverage that’s designed to help keep you healthy. It's the care that comes to you, and stays with you.</p>
Does BMI vary by gender?
<p>While BMI is the same for both men and women, body fat distribution differs. Women generally have a higher percentage of body fat than men, which is not reflected in BMI. </p>
What other health measurements should I consider with BMI?
<p>In addition to BMI, consider waist circumference, body fat percentage, physical activity, blood pressure, and other health markers like cholesterol and glucose levels. </p>
What do you need to calculate BMI?
<p style="text-align:justify;">To measure BMI, use a good scale to find your weight in kilograms. Use a tape measure to get your height in meters. Then, divide your weight by your height times itself (squared) to find your BMI.</p>