- BMI stands for Body Mass Index. This is a calculation using your height and weight. You can easily determine your BMI on various fitness websites.
- BMI is a standard tool used in the fitness and health industry to determine if you are at a greater risk for health problems.
- For adults (male and female) the BMI normal range is 18-25.
- People with a higher percentage of body fat, tend to have a higher BMI, except for body builders.
- BMI is a better predictor of disease risk than body weight. However, there are certain people who should not use BMI as the basis for determining relative disease risk: competitive athletes and body builders, whose BMI is high due to a relatively larger amount of muscle, and women who are pregnant or lactating.
- Normal BMI 18.5 – 24.9
- Underweight BMI < 18.5
- Overweight BMI 25 – 29.9
- Obesity BMI 30 – 39.9
- Extreme Obesity BMI > 40
- Weight loss will reduce your BMI and improve your overall health.
- Even a 10% reduction from your current weight will make a difference to your health. For instance, a 5’2” female who weighs 150 pounds (BMI=27), can improve her health by losing as little as twelve pounds, reducing her BMI to 25.
- The best way to lose weight and keep it off is to balance the foods you eat with daily physical activity.
- Losing more than 1 to 2 pounds per week is unhealthy and greatly decreases the likelihood of keeping it off.
- There are none.
