HOW TO CALCULATE BODY MASS INDEX.

WHAT IS BODY MASS INDEX?

Body mass index (BMI),  formerly called the Quetelet index, is a measure for indicating nutritional status in adults 1.

It is defined as a person's weight in kilograms divided by the square of height in meters 2. 

INTERPRETATION OF BODY MASS INDEX

A certain value is usually obtained after calculating BMI. Understanding  the  index is important to ensure proper interpretation.  A concrete example would be Mr. John, who is an adult, weighs 70 kg and has a height of 1.7 m2. What would be his BMI? 

70/(1.8)2 = 21.6 . So Mr. John's BMI is 21.6 . Now, what does this number mean?

Care must be taken in interpreting BMI.  In the case of Mr. John, his index falls within the healthy weight range. Simply put, he has a healthy weight. The nutritional table below shows the proper interpretation of BMI in adults above 20 years of age. 

The picture below further buttresses the point.

SO WHY SHOULD I CARE ABOUT BODY MASS INDEX?

We should care about our BMI, especially when it falls within the overweight and obese category. Being overweight is one of the major modifiable risk factors for cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) such as myocardial infarction (MI) otherwise known as 'heart attack', cerebrovascular accident (CVA) also known as 'stroke'. Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are the leading cause of death  worldwide 3

Knowing how to calculate BMI is important for properly monitoring one's weight.  Moreover, proper weight management  is one of the major keys to primary prevention of CVDs.

IMAGE SOURCES 1,2,3  

TABLE SOURCE 1

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