To use an online BMI calculator, enter your weight and height (as instructed). Then, click the “Calculate BMI” button for the tool to process information and return the results.
Not only for people who regularly exercise or for everyone, but it is also important to pay close attention to their weight. This will help us to promptly adjust the exercise/diet if we are overweight or underweight.
We need to pay more attention here: the ratio between height and weight, which will give a significant indication of what we will do next shortly.
This is one of the most basic indicators for tracking your health and not spending too much time.
The indicator we are talking about here is the BMI. A quick calculator formula for assessing weight status. So what is BMI, and how to calculate BMI for men and women?
Online BMI calculator
Recently, we have finished understanding the formula to calculate BMI. However, if we calculate BMI manually, we will use a pocket calculator to do the calculation. And this will be a bit inconvenient.
To solve the above problem, Bodybuilding Vip has created a tool for you to calculate BMI online right in this article. This calculator will be handy for those who want to use a convenient online application/app.
What is BMI?
BMI stands for Body Mass Index. Body Mass Index (BMI) translates to body mass index. BMI is an index showing the relationship between a person's height and weight …
And is used to assess the person's weight condition. In addition to the BMI name, they are also known as the Quetelet index (Quetelet index). By comparing your own BMI to standard BMI levels …
You will easily know if your body is too thin, overweight, or obese. Besides, BMI has a close relationship with health status. As the BMI gets further out and beyond the recommended range …
Notice: The BMI Calculator has been updated and booked immediately in this article. Press Ctrl + D or share to save the tool.
The more health risks you face. BMI depends on 2 factors: height and weight. At the same time, the BMI is independent of age and is calculated equally for both sexes.
To evaluate a person's weight status, BMI will be used to compare the threshold values established by scientists. Then, your BMI at any threshold, that threshold is your weight status.
Normally, BMI will be divided into 4 thresholds: underweight, normal, overweight, and obesity (will be detailed in the following sections). Additionally, some organizations divide BMI into more granular levels.
For example, underweight, underweight, degree 1 or 2 obesity… In some cases, the BMI threshold will be adjusted for different groups of people. For example, some studies show that Asians are at risk …
Have illnesses related to a higher weight, although belonging to the normal weight group (according to BMI). Therefore, experts recommend reducing the value of the overweight / obesity BMI threshold for Asians.
Read more: TDEE Calculator – How Many Calories Do You Need to Increase or Decrease for Your Purpose?
The origin of BMI
The first BMI calculation concept and formula (Quetelet index) were created in 1832 by Adolphe Quetelet. Adolphe Quetelet was a Belgian mathematician, while he was also an astronomer, statistician, and sociologist.
By July 1972, in a study published in the Journal of Chronic Diseases about the relationship between Quetelet indexes and health problems, the Quetelet index concept was obtained by Ancel Keys …
Several other authors replaced it with a more modern term, “Body Mass Index” (BMI). Adolphe Quetelet was one of the first to analyze indicators statistically…
In terms of size, rate, and rate of human growth. One of his most enduring achievements has been creating an accurate formula for estimating body fat levels (BMI).
When the original Quetelet index was created, body fat was considered unsightly but by no means unhealthy. However, when our understanding of the body …
Increased in the 19th century, obesity was clearly a direct cause of morbidity and dysfunction. At this point, scientists need a simple way to estimate fat percentage …
Of large groups of people aimed to confirm doubts about their hypotheses. So they started using BMI as a proxy for body fat status. And that's how they are still used today.
The formula for calculating BMI for men and women
If you are new to BMI, you are probably looking for “how to calculate BMI for women” or “how to calculate BMI for men.” However, as mentioned at the beginning of the article, BMI is not dependent on gender.
That they will depend only on 2 metrics, that is, height and weight. Therefore, the formula for calculating BMI for both men and women is the same. To calculate the BMI, we divide the weight by the square of the height. In it, the height will be in meters.
BMI = weight / (height x height)
The weight will be in units of kg. For example, a person 1m8 tall weighing 70 kg will have a 70 / (1.8 x 1.8) BMI = 21.6. If you want to use pounds instead of kilograms, you need to multiply the formula by 703 to convert the figure.
Standard BMI of the average person
Through the calculation tool above, you must have got your BMI. Now to know if our weights are correct, we need to compare them with the recommended BMI thresholds.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), people with BMI below 18.5 are underweight. And these people may suffer from malnutrition, eating disorders, or some other health problem.
- BMI underweight
- Normal, healthy BMI level
- Overweight BMI
- Obesity BMI levels
Meanwhile, people with a BMI of 25 and over were rated as overweight. And those with a BMI of over 30 were classified as obese. Only people who own BMI from 18.5 to 24.9 …
Newly considered to have a normal weight and healthy health. However, the above-mentioned 4 BMI thresholds are just 4 overall thresholds. In fact, the WHO organization divides BMI thresholds into 11 different levels.
These BMI thresholds are severe underweight (below 15), underweight (15-16), underweight (16-18.5), normal (18.5-25), overweight (25-30), obese type I / Moderately obese (30-35) …
Severely obese (35-40), Type III / Very severely obese (40-45), Type IV / Morbidly Obese (45-50) obesity, Type V / Super Obese (50- 60), obese category VI / Hyper Obese (over 60).
Note, the above BMI thresholds are common for the world. Therefore, they will not be suitable for Asians (). Instead of using the above values, we should apply the following BMI thresholds.
BMI of Asians
In Hong Kong, the Hospital Authority Hospital recommends a normal BMI to be between 18.5-23. The overweight BMI is between 23-25. And this 23 is also overweight BMI …
Which WHO recommends for Southeast Asia. Also, a BMI of 30 or higher is assessed as obese. Meanwhile, in Japan, a 2000 study on obesity by the Japan Society recommended …
| BMI according to Asian standards | ||
|---|---|---|
| Classify | BMI | |
| Underweight | Below 18.5 | |
| Normal | 18.5 | 22.9 |
| Overweight | 23 | 24.9 |
| Mild obesity | 25 | 29.9 |
| Severe obesity | Over 30 | |
A normal BMI is between 18.5-25. And those with a BMI of over 25 were classified as obese. On the other hand, in Singapore, the BMI was revised in 2005 and supported by many studies.
These studies have shown that, with the generally recommended BMI threshold, many Asian countries (including Singapore) have a higher percentage of body fat and the risk of cardiovascular disease/diabetes than in other countries.
However, these modified metrics are used to assess health risks, not weight. In particular, people with a BMI below 18.5 will experience health problems such as malnutrition and osteoporosis.
And those with a BMI of between 18.5 and 23 were rated in good health. Also, people with a BMI of 23 or more are at an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, stroke, or diabetes.
Children's BMI
For children (2-20 years old) BMI calculation method is quite similar to adults. However, the usage of BMI is completely different. We will not compare BMI with recommended ranges for children but with the percentile of children of the same age and sex.
If the child's BMI is less than the 5th percentile (5th percentile), then it is a sign of underweight. Because at that time, only 5% of children were heavier than children, and most other babies were heavier. If the BMI is greater than the 95th percentile (95th percentile), the child is obese.
Because at this time, the child is heavier than most (95%) of the others. Besides, a child's BMI at 85-95th is considered overweight. To find out if your child is underweight or obese, look up 2 percentile charts for boys and girls here.
Limitations of BMI
Although BMI is quite a useful indicator when we want to check whether our weight is up or not, BMI has many flaws and can lead to a misjudgment of your weight.
Body size restrictions
For people with tall and large bones, the BMI often overestimates the weight 10% more than it actually is. As for those with small, short bones, the BMI often underestimates about 10%.
In other words, people with short bones can have a lot of body fat. However, BMI still reported “normal” weight. Conversely, people with tall bones may have a low percentage of fat, but the BMI judges them to be overweight.
Muscle mass restriction
The BMI is often inaccurate with people with large or less muscle mass than usual. For subjects with high muscle mass (athletes), the BMI will overestimate their weight.
Thus, although they are in good health, the BMI judges them to be overweight or even obese. Some people have little muscle mass but a lot of excess fat (in the abdomen). Thus, even though they are skinny, the BMI shows that they are “normal.”
The link between BMI and health
Studies have shown that a high BMI is both beneficial and harmful when assessing the relationship between BMI and health problems (disease risk, low life expectancy). Specifically, a high BMI can protect your life under certain circumstances.
On the other hand, they can negatively affect your health. A high BMI is often associated with an increased risk of type 2 diabetes, heart disease, cancer, depression, fatty liver, arthritis, etc.
A person overweight (high BMI) is often caused by excess fat. And this will adversely affect the functions of the body. Overproduction of fat cells leads to hormone changes, increasing blood glucose levels.
Besides, they can also cause you to have atherosclerosis, putting a lot of pressure on the bones and joints, and internal organs. Although a high BMI can harm health, a high BMI's life-protective effect is an interesting benefit.
Some studies show that if you are hospitalized for some chronic illnesses like heart disease or cancer, a high BMI will help protect you. This phenomenon is known as the “obesity paradox.”
The reason for this is that when you have excess weight and muscles, they will be used to compensate for the weight and muscle lost during the course of your illness. From there, you can recover from the disease faster.
What BMI doesn't tell you about your health
Besides calculating BMI to see if the body is overweight, is there any other way to calculate it?
How to measure waist
Many experts say that waist measurement reflects health status more effectively than BMI. Too much fat accumulated in the second round will increase the risk of cardiovascular diseases and diabetes. It is also directly linked to the risk of high blood cholesterol, heart attack and stroke.
If the waist circumference is greater than 80cm in women and more than 94cm in men, it increases the risk of heart attack, diabetes, etc. Women with a waist circumference over 88cm and men with a waist circumference over 102cm have the highest risk.
The way to measure the waist is as follows: The smallest point of the waist is determined to be the area around the navel. Place a tape measure around your belly and take the reading. Note when measuring, you need to exhale. Women's waistlines are always lower than men's.
According to the shape of the body: apple and pear
Fat cells in the body usually accumulate in the following ways:
– Fat accumulation in the hips and thighs
– Fat accumulation in the abdomen.
People with belly fat often have apple-shaped bodies. Those who have fat accumulated in the hips and thighs have a pear-shaped figure.
People with an apple-shaped body, also known as a beer belly. According to medicine, the belly area is the most likely to accumulate fat. Many scientific studies also show that people who are overweight in the abdominal area are more likely to suffer from the disease than those who store fat in the hips and thighs.
Waist-hip ratio
Recently, many believe that the waist-to-hip ratio will help accurately calculate the amount of excess fat in the parts, indicating the risk of having a heart attack more accurately than BMI.
Measurements should be taken while relaxed and undressed. Measure the waist, then the hip. The hips are defined as the very wide part of the buttocks. Note that the wire should not be tightened when measuring for the most accurate results.
The formula for calculating the waist-hip ratio is as follows: Divide your waist measurement by your hip measurement. For example, the waist is 85cm, and the hips 100cm. Waist-hip ratio = 85 : 100 = 0.85.
The results are as follows: In men, with a waist-to-hip ratio > 1 and women > 0.8, you have an apple-shaped body and are more prone to cardiovascular diseases.
How to maintain an ideal BMI
To achieve the ideal Body Mass Index, each person must follow a scientific diet and exercise program. In addition, you can meet directly with your doctor to listen to advice about your body condition and help you plan appropriate nutrition and exercise supplements.
Experts also say that if you persist in implementing the solutions below, you will quickly achieve the ideal Body Mass Index:
Appropriate diet
In case BMI indicates that the body is in a state of being overweight, you need to adjust your daily diet. Specifically, you should limit your consumption of foods high in sugar and fat.
Instead, high-fiber, low-calorie foods, and boiled foods should be prioritized in the daily menu. You also need to control the portion size so that the calories consumed are greater than the calories taken in.
Exercise regularly and effectively
Many studies show that people with the ideal Body Mass Index usually spend at least 60-90 minutes of strength training daily. The exercises are small bottles of the day. Each exercise lasts about 20-30 minutes. Maintaining the habit of exercise and sports will help you lose weight quickly.
Not only that, but exercises also help improve health, improve mood, exercise endurance and flexibility of muscles. In addition, it also helps reduce stress and prevent some dangerous diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, and osteoarthritis …
Limitations of the BMI. formula
The formula for determining the Body Mass Index is relatively simple and easy to use. However, BMI is also not completely accurate because it only refers to a person's weight and height. Determining whether you are overweight or not needs to be based on more information.
Here are the problems where the BMI formula can go wrong:
– How much your muscles are: Your Body Mass Index is high, but your body is still healthy and in good shape.
Skeletal size: People with large skeletons often have a high BMI. However, they are still healthy and do not have any problems.
– Gender: Same BMI, but women often have more fat than men.
Age: With the same BMI, older people will have more fat than younger people.
– BMI is not accurate for athletes. Because that case usually has less fat than the average person.
According to a study published in the International Journal of Obesity, the BMI formula is a serious flaw. With the above formula, millions of Americans are identified as overweight and obese. But in fact, they are completely healthy and do not have any problems. The study results say that about 34.4 million Americans are overweight, and about 19.8 million are obese based on BMI alone. The above is hard to believe.
In short, the Body Mass Index is not accurate for muscular, pregnant, large-framed people. BMI calculation results can show that you are overweight or obese even if you are not.
To know the exact state of your body, you need to rely on many other metrics, including waist-to-hip ratio or body fat percentage. From there, it is possible to predict the risk of cardiovascular diseases, obesity, or stroke… However, in some respects, BMI is also considered a screening tool, determining weight the right amount for an adult
References
Hopefully, the information above has helped you gain some more knowledge about the “BMI calculator” and bring some small value. Please share this article if you feel it useful. Thanks!
