Body Mass Index Formula

  -Body Mass Index Formula… what the heck is that? 
My best friend Amy seemed to think it would be a good idea to find out what  our  bmi's were.

She didn't realize that I didn't even know what a bmi formula was, let alone what it meant. (skip ahead to BMI Chart.) -Allow me to explain....

 Amy's sort of a health nut

-She's always coming up with some little tidbit about what we should do to achieve our healthiest weight, and what a women's  ideal weight  really should be.

Like I said, Amy is my best friend, and when it comes to a person's ideal weight, the fact that she could probably be a model tends to make me listen to her all the more.

That, and the fact of the matter is, my family's never been all that healthy to begin with.

-Alzheimer's, Breast cancer, Diabetes, they've  all  been in my family. Maintaining that ideal weight is the  least  of our problems.

-Not so, according to Amy ... it's probably the  cause  of at least some, if not all, of my family's health problems. (see  obesity dangers )

That's where the Body Mass Index Formula Chart comes in.

The Body Mass Index Definition: -It's the relationship between your height and weight that's associated with body fat and your health risk.

The index value is then used to assess overweight and underweight. (See Body mass index chart and formula below)

-Though it does not measure the actual percentage of your body fat, the body mass index chart, (or Bmi formula, Bmi chart), can be an extremely useful tool, and a helpful addition to any weight loss system. 

BMI estimates your body fat, based on your height and weight.

-The Body Mass Index Formula does not distinguish between body fat and muscle or bone mass, so this must be taken into consideration when calculating bmi values for the elderly, or for an athlete. -An athletes muscle mass will make their bmi formula reading much higher, because muscle is heavier than fat. A professional football players number on a Bmi Chart would be way up there. -But most of us who do have a higher reading with the Bmi formula (unfortunately), also know that it's not the result of excess muscle mass, and reducing it (by losing weight) is a real good idea. -Conversely, the lost muscle and bone mass of many elderly people can put their Bmi Formula reading in a lower range. They could in fact actually be overweight, but for an active healthy adult over the age of 65, the slight increase in body fat of a Bmi Chart reading of 25-27, may actually help to stave off osteoporosis. -Weight gain and body mass have long been known to be risk factors for breast cancer, heart disease, diabetes and most other diseases as well. -The body mass index formula chart can also help you estimate your ideal weight as well. -We all need all the help we can get, and with the body mass index formula and the bmi chart, we have a starting point and something to strive for.

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  The Body Mass Index Formula (Bmi formula) 

The body mass index formula is used to find a person's healthy weight. Your height and weight are calculated  together,  to estimate your body fat.

-To calculate  your  BMI:

1.  - Multiply your weight in pounds, by 703.

2.  - Divide that number, by your height in inches.

3.  - Divide the result, by your height in inches again.

-Example:  Using the Bmi formula let's determine the body mass index for "Jennifer," a woman 5 foot-4 "( 64  inches) tall, who weighs  150  pounds:

1.  - (Jen's weight)  150  x 703 = 105,450

2.  - 105,450 divided by (Jen's height)  64  inches = 1647.65

3.  - 1647.65 divided by  64  again =  25.74  (Jen's body mass index formula number.)

  Your Body Mass Index reading should be  under  25

-A bmi formula number under  17.5  usually indicates  Anorexia  or a related eating disorder.

-For an average size healthy person, using the body mass index formula you should obtain a reading of between  18.5 and 24.9 . Around the  24  bmi mark would be a healthy weight, but anything below the  25  mark is good.

-A person with a bmi formula number over  25  but under  30 , is overweight.

-A bmi formula reading of more than  30  indicates  obesity.

-Over  40  bmi indicates morbid obesity.

See  Frankie's story  about the risks of  obesity.

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-Jen  is actually only 6 pounds above her 25 Bmi Formula limit, and would be at her ideal weight between around 109 - 144 lbs, depending on her size and build.

-If Jen  were a small framed gal, 109 - 119 pounds would be about right, if she had a medium frame, 119 - 135 pounds, and if she were a larger woman, a range of 135 - 144 pounds would be fine. (I hope this is her, with a bmi formula reading of 25.6, she won't need to lose very much)

Unfortunately, most women  have their own  ingrained  beliefs about what a woman's ideal weight should be. More often than not, that weight is far below what their actual "healthy weight" should be, and not even a realistic goal.

-Men,  on the other hand, tend to think their ideal weight as heavier than medically recommended. (Good excuse for eating more, I guess)

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-Another indicator  of body fat is  waist size.  (regardless of bmi formula result) A waist size over 40 "for a man and 35" for a woman indicates excessive body fat.

-High Blood Pressure and High Cholesterol  can also be indicators of a high level of body fat. (and a correspondingly high bmi formula reading)

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How do you know what your ideal weight should be?

 For most people, if you consider your ideal weight to be what you weigh at 24, it's a good bet  that  weight would be your best weight for the rest of your life. If you can stay within 10 lbs. of  that  weight, you'd be doing great.

Wouldn't  that  be nice?

-Another simple yet reliable method of figuring out your ideal weight is this easy formula:

-For Men:  Add  108  pounds for the first 5 feet of your height, and then add  6  pounds for each additional inch. (Deduct 6 lbs. For each inch  under  5 feet) -But you tend to run  heavier  than women, due to more muscle and bone mass.

-For a six-foot man:  108 lbs. (first 5 feet) +  72 lbs. (12 "over 5 ', 12 times 6 pounds = 72) =  180  pounds, give or take depending on your build.

-For Women:  Add  106  pounds for the first 5 feet of your height, then add  6 pounds for each added inch. (Deduct 6lbs. For each inch  below  5 ft)

-Not really the bmi formula type? Try the body mass index chart below:

Body Mass Index Chart

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- To Find Your Bmi : Find your height in the left hand column, follow across to your current weight, then go down to your Bmi # on the bottom.

Height	Weight (lbs.)

4' 10"	91	96	100	105	110	115	119	124	129	134	138	143
4' 11"	94	99	104	109	114	119	124	128	133	138	143	148
5' 0"	97	102	107	112	118	123	128	133	138	143	148	153
5' 1"	100	106	111	116	122	127	132	137	143	148	153	158
5' 2"	104	109	115	120	126	131	136	142	147	153	158	164
5' 3"	107	113	118	124	130	135	141	146	152	158	163	169
5' 4"	110	116	122	128	134	140	145	151	157	163	169	174
5' 5"	114	120	126	132	138	144	150	156	162	168	174	180
5' 6"	118	124	130	136	142	148	155	161	167	173	179	186
5' 7"	121	127	134	140	146	153	159	166	172	178	185	191
5' 8"	125	131	138	144	151	158	164	171	177	184	190	197
5' 9"	128	135	142	149	155	162	169	176	182	189	196	203
5' 10"	132	139	146	153	160	167	174	181	188	195	202	207
5' 11"	136	143	150	157	165	172	179	186	193	200	208	215
6' 0"	140	147	154	162	169	177	184	191	199	206	213	221
6' 1"	144	151	159	166	174	182	189	197	204	212	219	227
6' 2"	148	155	163	171	179	186	194	202	210	218	225	233
6' 3"	152	160	168	176	184	192	200	208	216	224	232	240
6' 4"	156	164	172	180	189	197	205	213	221	230	238	246
BMI#	19	20	21	22	23	24	25	26	27	28	29	30

-Top of page  -  Balanced Diet Chart  -  My Healthy Eating Plans  -

- To Estimate Your Ideal Weight: 

Start at the bottom of the Bmi Chart above, at a Bmi of  25 , go up until you find  your height row. A new weight  below  this number would be a healthy weight. (Bmi # 24 would be great!)

-You can go left on your row as your body size  decreases.  Sorry, only elderly folks and athletes can go right at their height row.

-Remember, but  do  tend two carry a higher body weight and Bmi # because of higher muscle mass, and bone mass. (and both, weigh more)

To Extended Bmi chart  (for adult obesity) 

-After learning your ideal weight from the bmi chart above, your next move should be to do something about it!

How about this: Did you know that for every pound of muscle you add to your body, you use up to 50 more calories a day while at rest?

-Replace the fat on your arms, under your chin, and on that belly with lean muscle, and you can burn a lot of calories much easier.

Figure it out: Add just 2 pounds of muscle and you’ll burn an extra 700 calories a week just sitting around and you'll look and feel much better.

-That’s nearly 12 pounds of fat per year lost by adding some muscle!

Check out our 15 minute Chart for burning calories the easy way.

-We certainly hope that some of the methods described here helped you to discover your ideal and healthiest weight.

Perhaps they even inspired you to try to attain it.

... Your health is certainly worth the effort!

Take a look at this  BMI calculator for children and teens from the CDC.

-To lengthen your life, shorten your meals. 
~ Proverb

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