Bmi Calculator Aka Body Mass Index Calculator

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The body mass index calculator or BMI calculator determines whether a person’s health is at risk due to his or her weight. It is a ratio of your weight to your height.

There are many ways to determine if you’re at a healthy weight and BMI (Body Mass Index) calculation is one of the easiest, simplest and most frequently used methods for the same. Determining your BMI is not difficult at all and you can do it easily even within the comfort of your home. In its simplest meanings, BMI compares a person’s weight to their height.

BMI calculator formula
BMI uses a mathematical formula based on a person’s height and weight. BMI equals weight in kilograms divided by height in meters squared (BMI = kg/m2). When using pounds and inches, the formula needs to be altered slightly. Multiply your weight in pounds by 703. You can also calculate your own BMI accordingly. .
For example, if you weigh 120 pounds and are 5 ft. 3 in. (63 in.) tall:
BMI = 120 x 703 = 84,360 = 21.3
63 x 63 = 3,969
This is well within the healthy weight ...
... range.

Step by step guide to calculate your Body Mass Index
Things you need:
To calculate your own BMI while sitting within the comfort of your home, all you need is:
• A simple calculator
• Your already known readings for your own “height” and “weight”.
If you have these things ready then:

1-Enter your body weight in Kilograms
2- Press the ÷ symbol
3-Enter your body height in meters
4-Again press the ÷ symbol
5- Again enter your body height in meters
6- Press the “=” symbol

What does the BMI calculator tells you?
A BMI of 25 to 29.9 indicates a person is overweight.
A person with a BMI of 30 or higher is considered obese.

In short, for most adults, the BMI calculator for men is a good way to get an idea of healthy weight ranges. But it is not always the final word in deciding if a person is overweight or obese. There are other things to think about when judging how much someone should weigh. A person with a high BMI should be evaluated by a health care provider, who might use other factors such as skin fold thickness (a measure of body fat), waist size, evaluations of diet and family health problems, and other tests to find out if a person's weight might pose a health risk. For example, you are at a higher risk if you carry most of your weight around the abdomen. If you are overweight, losing 5 to 10 per cent of your current body weight at a rate of 2 to 4 lbs (1 to 2 kg) per month is a healthy goal.
For someone who weighs 200 lbs (90 kg), 5 to 10 per cent is 10 to 20 lbs (4.5 to 9 kg).

It is important to remember that while BMI calculator for women does not show the difference between excess fat and muscle, it is closely associated with measures of body fat.
Therefore it is good practise to use alternative tools for a clearer health overview.
Why do we need alternatives?
The Body Mass Index calculator presents a measure of weight in relation to height, is commonly used for classifying overweight and obesity. The risks of cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes tend to increase on a continuum with increasing BMI, but for practical purposes a person with a BMI of over 25 is considered overweight, while someone with a BMI of over 30 is obese. But one size does not fit all. In women, a BMI as low as 21 may be associated with the greatest protection from coronary heart disease death. The BMI for observed risk in different Asian populations varies from 22 to 25 kg/m2. Therefore, dieticians, nutritionists and weight loss experts believe that other methods should also be used to evaluate a person’s overall health risk and the associated grade of obesity.

Alternatives to Body Mass Index
There are two main and common alternatives to Body Mass Index:

1- Waist-Hip Ratio (Pears” vs. “Apples”)
Health care providers are concerned not only with how much fat a person has, but also where the fat is located on the body. Women typically collect fat in their hips and buttocks, giving them a “pear” shape. Men usually build up fat around their bellies, giving them more of an “apple” shape. Of course some men are pear-shaped and some women become apple-shaped, especially after menopause. If you carry fat mainly around your waist, you are more likely to develop obesity-related health problems. Women with a waist measurement of more than 35 inches or men with a waist measurement of more than 40 inches have a higher health risk because of their fat distribution.

2- BMI Calculator and Waist circumference
Circumference is the perimeter of, or the distance around a circle. So waist circumference is a measure of the distance around the abdomen. Waist circumference is one of the most practical tools to assess abdominal fat for chronic disease risk and during weight loss treatment. A high waist circumference or a greater level of abdominal fat is associated with an increased risk for type 2 diabetes, high cholesterol, high blood pressure and heart disease.

According to the United States Department of Health and Human Services the following individuals are at increased risk for developing chronic diseases:
• Women with a waist circumference of more than 35 inches.
• Men with a waist circumference of more than 40 inches.
However, however, lower thresholds for waist circumference have been recommended for Asian populations by the World Health Organization due to recent research findings. Therefore, those at increased risk for developing chronic disease include:
• Asian women with a waist circumference of more than 31 inches.
• Asian men with a waist circumference of more than 35 inches.
To measure waist circumference locate the top of the hip bone. Place the tape measure evenly around the bare abdomen at the level of this bone. Read the tape measure and record the waist circumference in inches. Ensure that the tape is sung but does not push tightly into the skin and you measure waist circumference after breathing out normally.

Is waist circumference better indicator than BMI calculator?
Waist circumference may be a better indicator of health risk than BMI alone, especially when used in combination with BMI. Waist circumference is particularly useful for individuals with a BMI of 25-34.9. For men and women with a BMI > than 35, waist circumference adds little predictive power on the disease risk classification of BMI.
Studies have shown that the distribution of body fat is associated with an increased prevalence of diabetes, hypertension, high cholesterol and cardiovascular disease. Generally, the association between health risks and body fat distribution is as follows:
• Least risk – slim (no pot belly)
• Moderate risk – overweight with no pot belly
• Moderate to high risk – slim with pot belly
• High risk – overweight with pot belly.

Waist circumference and health risks
Waist circumference can be used to indicate health risk.
For men:
• 94cm or more – increased risk
• 102cm or more – substantially increased risk.
For women:
• 80cm or more – increased risk
• 88cm or more – substantially increased risk.
Body Mass Index Calculator is crystal clear from the above discussion that no single measure including the ones provided by BMI calculator are 100 accurate in determining the exact health risk due to your body weight. You should, therefore, rely on , multiple methods such as Body Mass Index and wait to hip ratio and also waist circumference to evaluate such risks and their link with your body weight and body fat.