How To Calculate BMI Formula - What Is BMI - BMI (Body Mass Index) Chart Explained

In this video we discuss what is BMI (body mass index), how to calculate BMI, the BMI chart, weight classifications based on BMI and some of the risks of having a high BMI.

Transcript/notes
How to calculate bmi
BMI, or body mass index is a measure of a person’s body fat, based on height and weight. And a high bmi can increase a person’s risk for certain diseases.

It is calculated by taking your weight in kilograms and dividing it by your height in meters squared.
Bmi = kg/msq

If you are using pounds for weight and feet or inches for height, then we need to do some conversions. Let’s say someone is 175 pounds and 5 foot 9.

To convert pounds to kilograms,1 pound equals 0.4536 kilograms, so, you multiply by 0.4536, so 175 pounds, times 0.4536 equals 79.38 kilograms.
To convert feet to meters, first convert feet to inches. 12 inches in a foot, so 5 times 12 equals 60 inches, plus 9 inches equals a total of 69 inches. 1 inch equals 0.0254 meters, so multiply by 0.0254, so 69 times 0.0254 equals 1.7526 meters.

Now we have all that we need for the formula. 79.38 kilograms divided by 1.7526 meters squared equals a bmi of 25.8.

And here is the formula for bmi using common US metrics of pounds and inches.

Here is a chart listing weight status that I got from the cdc website, based on bmi. As you see, anything below 18.5 is considered underweight and anything over 30 is considered obese.

And here is a bmi chart listing various weights and heights and the classifications of the bmi’s.

One thing to consider is that someone that has more muscle may fall into an overweight classification.

And, in 2014 the average bmi in the united states was 28.5 for both men and women.

Timestamps
0:00 BMI (body mass index) definition
0:09 Formula for BMI
0:20 How to convert pounds to kilograms
0:36 How to convert inches to meters
1:10 Formula for BMI in pounds and inches
1:26 BMI chart