Looking at your body mass index

The body mass index (BMI) is being used as an assessment of body size. In the past height and weight tables developed by insurance companies classified weights by frame size (small, medium, large) with one table for men and one for women. The body mass index looks at what people weight and classifies their weight by degree of medical risk. The BMI is a close measurement of body fat in most people. The same table is used for men and women .

Figuring out your BMI.

You can determine your body mass index by using the table in Appendix A.

1. Multiply your weight (in pound) times 703
2. Multiply your height (in inches) times itself
3. Take the number you got in Step 1and divide it by the number you got in Step 2
4. The result is your BMI

You use the same calculation to figure the BMI for a child over 2 years old age, but the result isn’t interpreted the same as in table 4-1, Check with your family doctor or pediatrician for the correct interpretation of a child’s BMI.

A BMI of 20 to 24.9 is considered a healthy weight. A BMI of 25-29.9 is considered overweight, but not obese. And a BMI of 30 or greater is obesity.