How to Calculate BMI Manually

If you have been reading health articles, you must have come across the term body mass index. You must have also read health experts suggesting that it should be kept in check i.e. neither too high nor too low, for maintaining one's health and fitness. If this has left you wondering what exactly is BMI and how to calculate BMI manually, then here is some useful information which will help you figure out both.

Body Mass Index (BMI): Formula and Definition

Body mass index is a number which is arrived at by taking a person's height and weight into consideration. It measures the body fat percentage in the total body weight of a person. So, if the body mass index is high, it means that the person has high fat percentage in his body, which can be detrimental to his health. That's why we have all the health-conscious people and experts aiming and recommending for the right body mass index.

If you want to know, "how to calculate BMI manually for women?" or "how to calculate BMI for men?", the formula is the same. It does not vary according to the gender or age of a person. Here's the simple formula to calculate BMI.

BMI = (weight in pounds * 703) / (height in square inches)²

For all those who want to know, "how to calculate BMI for children or adults?", let's take an example. Suppose there is a woman named Katy whose height is five feet three inches. Her weight is 140 pounds. In order to calculate her BMI, let's put these figures in the above given formula.

So, Katy's BMI = (140 * 703) / (63 * 63) = 98420 / 3969 = 24.8 (approx)

In the above example, height is converted into inches. 1 foot = 12 inches. So, 5 feet = 12 * 5 = 60 inches. To these sixty inches, the additional three inches are added to arrive at 63 inches. I hope that explains how to calculate BMI for women, men as well as children manually.

Body Mass Index (BMI): Interpretation

Once the BMI is calculated, in order to interpret it, the following measures are used.

• BMI under 18.5 shows that a person is underweight.
• A BMI between 18.6 and 24.9 represents a normal body weight.
• A BMI between 25 and 29.9 shows that a person is overweight.
• A BMI of 30 and above represents that a person is obese.

These classifications of interpreting BMI are the same for men , women and children. They help a person to maintain the healthy body fat percentage. However, one cannot solely depend upon the BMI calculation for determining the body fat percentage. For instance a heavily muscled person may weigh the same as an obese person as the muscles tend to increase the body weight. However, this difference in muscle weight and weight from fats is not taken into consideration while calculating BMI. Use the body mass index calculator to determine your weight.

Here's hoping that your query, "how to calculate BMI manually?" has been answered satisfactorily. Although, BMI has its drawbacks, still it's a good enough measure which helps a person keep his weight in check. A high BMI indicates high fat percentage, which can lead to many lifestyle diseases such as cancer, obesity, heart disease, diabetes, etc. A low BMI i.e. less body fats can have adverse effects on the body too as fats are necessary for the body to maintain the right energy levels. So, if your BMI is very low or high, consult a nutritionist immediately. He would recommend you a healthy diet plan according to your body requirements. Complement this diet plan with regular exercises to maintain an appropriate weight and a healthy body mass index.