BMI (Body Mass Index)

Body mass index (BMI) is another measure used to define overweight and obesity. Large studies find that BMI generally reflects the amount of excessive body fat an adult has, although there are certain exceptions, such as the BMI of a pregnant woman, athlete, bodybuilder, or elderly.

The BMI takes into account the height and weight of an individual. It can be determined using a BMI chart or it can be calculated according to the following formula:

Weight in kilograms divided by Height in square meters (BMI = kg / m2)
Category BMI Range

• Normal size 18.9 to 24.9
• Overweight from 25 to 29.9
• Class I, Obesity 30 to 34.9
• Class II, Severe Obesity 35 to 39.9
• Class III, Severe Obesity 40 and over

Various studies have shown that, for the same BMI, the population of Eastern origin has a higher proportion of fat in their body than the population of Caucasian origin. Some experts have suggested that people of Asian origin could be considered overweight when the BMI is greater than 23 and obesity when the BMI is greater than 25.