Studies of obesity have shown that a calculation known as
body mass index (
BMI) can provide an accurate measure of body fat in an individual. While BMI does not measure body fat directly, BMI results have been shown to correspond closely to direct measures of body fat in most people.
BMI uses a mathematical formula that takes into account a person's height and weight. Body mass index is a person's weight in kilograms divided by height in meters, squared (BMI=kg/m2).
To make it easier to
calculate BMI, variations of height and weight have been compiled into a BMI table. This BMI table can be used to determine body mass index for people who are at least 58 inches tall (4'10") and who weigh at least 91 pounds.