How to Calculate BMI

If you’ve ever wanted to know how to work out your BMI this page will show you all you need to know.

Body Mass Index or BMI for short can help you determine how healthy your weight currently is. It can help you determine if you are overweight, how overweight you are and how at risk you may have become to the health problems. Examples of health problems that are associated with being overweight or obese include type 2 diabetes and heart attacks.

On this page you will learn:

• Introduction to BMI
• How to calculate BMI (Imperial)
• How to calculate BMI (Metric)

Same BMI formula for Men, Women & Children.

BMI measures the volume of fat in an individual’s body as a percentage of the overall weight. Essentially, the more fat you’re carrying, the higher your BMI and consequently the greater your risk of weight related health problems. The following 2 formulas will show you how to calculate your BMI whether you are in the UK or further abroad.

Knowing how to measure BMI or how is BMI calculated is an extremely important check if you think you are overweight. Fortunately the very same formula is used for Men, Woman and Children. The only differences are the way BMI is calculated using either the English (Imperial) or Metric system depending on your country of residence. Ok, so how do you calculate BMI?

How to check BMI (Imperial).

If you’re based in England (or the UK generally) the formula for calculating your BMI is as follows: Your weight in pounds (lbs) is divided by your height in inches squared (in2) and is then multiplied by a factor of 703.

1. Body Mass Index (BMI) = (weight (lbs) / height (in²) x 703
2. Example: Your weight = 150 lbs / Your height = 65 in (5’5″)
3. BMI Calculation: 150 ÷ 65² x 703 = 24.96

With the Imperial system your height is usually measured in inches.

How to calculate your BMI (Metric).

If you’re based in a country that is using the metric system you can how to calculate your BMI by following the formula below: Your weight in kilos (kg) is divided by your height in meters squared (m2):

1. Body Mass Index (BMI) = (weight (kg) / height (m²)
2. Example: Your weight = 68 kg / Your height = 1.65 m (165 cm)
3. BMI Calculation: 68 ÷ 1.65² = 24.98

With the metric system your height is usually measured in centimetres so you need to divide your height by 100 to turn it into meters.

 

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