BMI Calculator

What is Body Mass Index (BMI)?

In 1998 the Center for Disease Control adopted the BMI method, which compares your height to your body weight, as a standard for evaluating body “fatness”. The subsequent finding is medically useful in predicting your associating risk for obesity-related diseases.

Is the BMI Measurement Always Accurate?

The BMI is an extremely accurate measurement system for most people. However, because BMI standards assume average muscle mass, the results are misleading for people with a heavily muscular athletic build or the frail elderly.

How Do I Use This Calculator?

Simply type your height (in feet and inches) and weight (in pounds) into the large boxes on the left and then hit the “Calculate” button. Your BMI measurement will be displayed numerically and with a colored bar graph to allow you to visualize where you rank relative to the entire BMI spectrum.

How Do I Interpret My Results?

Find your BMI result in the table below. The right column will define your associated health risks.

BMI	WEIGHT STATUS	WHAT THIS MEANS	ASSOCIATED HEALTH RISK
18.5 and less	Underweight	Talk with your healthcare provider to determine possible causes of underweight and if you need to gain weight.	Possible increased risk for non-elderly individuals.
18.6 to 24.9	Normal	Maintaining a healthy weight reduces the risk of chronic diseases associated with overweight and obesity.	None
25 to 29.9	Overweight	People who are overweight are at increased risk for chronic health conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol.	Your health risk is INCREASED If, in addition, your waist circumference measures greater than 40 in. for men, or 35 in. for women you are in a HIGH risk category.
30 to 34.9	Obese	People who are obese are at an even greater risk for chronic health conditions such as high blood pressure, diabetes, and high cholesterol.	Your health risk is HIGH If, in addition, your waist circumference measures greater than 40 in. for men, or 35 in. for women you are in a VERY HIGH risk category
35 to 39.9	Severely Obese	People who are severely obese are at very high risk for chronic health conditions such as high blood pressure, diabetes, and high cholesterol.	Your health risk is VERY HIGH
40 and Over	Morbidly Obese	People who are morbidly obese are at an extremely high risk for chronic health conditions such as high blood pressure, diabetes, and high	Your health risk is EXTREMELY HIGH