Are you a healthy weight?
First, you will need to know your height and weight. Then, you can use the BMI Calculator to calculate your Body Mass Index.
Please note BMI is not accurate for all people - find out more.
If you're a number cruncher, you can do the calculations yourself...
- Take your height in metres and multiply the figure by itself (e.g. 1.65m x 1.65m)
- Take your weight in kilograms
- Now, divide your weight by your height squared (the answer to Question 1) to get your Body Mass Index (BMI)
For example:
Bethan is 1.5 metres tall and weighs 50 kilograms. To work out her BMI, Bethan would do the following calculation:
1.5 x 1.5 = 2.25. 50 divided by 2.25 = 22.22
So, Bethan's Body Mass Index is:
22.22
Now you have your Body Mass Index, click on your classification below for more information.
For the majority of people, Body Mass Index is a reliable way to check whether your weight putting your health at risk. However, please note: BMI is not accurate for:
- athletes or body builders (muscle weighs more than fat, which can mean that someone very muscular can be categorised as obese)
- pregnant women
- breastfeeding women
- children
- frail older people
- people under 5ft tall
BMI classifications
- underweight (BMI under 18.5)
- healthy weight (BMI 18.5 - 25)
- overweight (BMI 25 - 30)
- obese (BMI 30 - 40)
- very obese (BMI over 40)
Contacts
The contacts database contains details of organisations that may be able to offer information or assistance on this issue.
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