Is Body Mass Index (BMI) Obsolete?

Body Mass Index (BMI)has been used over the years as an indicator of one’s health.

The formula for calculating BMI was developed in 1832 by Belgian astronomer and mathematician Adolphe Quetelet.

To calculate BMI, you take your height in meters square and divide it by your weight in kilograms.

To convert the formula using imperial measurements of pounds and inches, take your weight in pounds, multiply that by 703, and divide by your height in inches squared.

Results

The results of this calculation will give a BMI number that will classify the person in one of four categories:

A BMI of 18.4 or lower puts one into the “underweight” category.

A BMI of 18.5–24.9 is the “normal” range.

A BMI of 25–29.9 is the “overweight” category.

A BMI of 30 or greater is the “obese” range.

What’s Your BMI?

Let do a basic BMI calculation to see how this works. Our example is a 200 lb male with a height of 5'10".

For imperial, covert the height 5'10" to inches we have 70".