What Is a BMI Calculator?
Research on obesity has shown that a measurement called
body mass index, or
BMI for short, can be used to assess a person's level of body fat based on his or her height and weight. BMI does not measure body fat directly, but it correlates closely to direct measures of body fat.
The BMI calculator is used to determine the body mass index of a person 20 years of age or older.
For adults, BMI is interpreted through categories that do not take factors such as sex or age into account.
BMI Calculator for Adults
To use the adult BMI calculator, enter your weight and height using English or metric units of measurement. Click Calculate, and your BMI will appear.
What Do the Results Mean for Adults?For adults age 20 and older, the
BMI calculator results are interpreted using standard weight status categories that are the same for all ages and for both men and women. The standard weight status categories associated with BMI ranges for adults are shown in the following table:
|
BMI
|
Weight Status
|
|
Below 18.5
|
Underweight
|
|
18.5 – 24.9
|
Normal
|
|
25.0 – 29.9
|
Overweight
|
|
30.0 and Above
|
Obese
|
However, this is just one measure to assess the risk associated with weight.
(Click BMI and Weight for more information on other factors healthcare providers consider when determining risks for certain medical conditions related to weight.)
A Reminder About Using Adult BMI Criteria to Interpret BMI in Children
The adult BMI calculator provides only the BMI number and not the BMI age- and sex-specific percentile that is used to interpret
body mass index and determine the weight category for children and teens. It is not appropriate to use the BMI weight status categories for adults to interpret numbers for children and teens.
