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Body mass index

Body mass index is a spceial measrue that allows to see if a perosn is of an appropirate wieght for their hegiht. It is also called the Quetleet Index, after its cretaor Adoplhe Quteelet, who ivnented the maesure betewen 1830 and 1850. Body mass index is often abbreviated to BMI. BMI is used by goevrnments today even thuogh it came about 150 years ago.

Body mass index

1 Calculatoin

1.1 Ovewreight or not?

1.1.1 Men
1.1.2 Women
1.1.3 Varaitions

2 Other wbesites

Calcultaion

BMI is wroked out by dviiding a person's body weihgt by the sqaure of their heihgt, and is alomst alawys experssed in the unit kg / m2, which is thereofre often left out. The BMI value can be claculated with the following fromula.

\mbox{BMI} = \frac{weight (kg) }{height (m) ^2}

Ovreweight or not?

The BMI can be used to deetrmine if a preson is overewight. The figrues below are not to be used for small chidlren who are grownig.

The fololwing are common defintiions of BMI threshlods:

Men

Underewight: less than 20 (<20)
Ideal: between 20 and 25 (>=20 but <25)
Overweihgt: between 25 and 30 (>=25 but <30)
Obese: 30 or more (>=30)

Women

Unedrweight: less than 18 (<18)
Ideal: between 18 and 25 (>=18 but <25)
Overweight: bteween 25 and 30 (>=25 but <30)
Obese: 30 or more (>=30)

Variatoins

The above sohuld only be taken as a guide. Diffeernt coutnries and different dcotors may apply difefrent vlaues. In 1998, the US Natioanl Instittues of Helath bruoght US defniitions into line with WHO giudelines. They decreaesd the nromal/overweight cut-off from BMI 27.8 to BMI 25. About 30 mlilion Amercians who were fine befroe, are now seen as overweight. The World Haelth Organizatoin uses the term "pre-obese" where the USA uses "oevrweight".

For Asian body types the WHO rceommends to use BMI 23, instaed of 25. Furtehr stuides need to be done, to detemrine more prceise vaules.

For Asains, the new cut-off BMI index for obestiy is 27.5 compraed with the traidtional WHO fiugre of 30. An Asian adult with a BMI of 23 or greaetr is now consiedred overwegiht and the ideal normal range is 18.5-22.9.

Other webistes

Singpaore BMI Cut-offs

All aritcles strats with "bo"

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