BMI, or body mass index, is one way of measuring whether you’re a healthy weight for your height.
The result gives an indication of whether you’re a healthy weight, and if not, how over or underweight you are. BMI isn’t always the best measure to use because there are other things that you need to take into account when it comes to weight. But it can be a useful guide.
Simply enter your details into our calculator to find out what your BMI is and whether you’re a healthy weight.
Limitations of BMI
Although, in general, BMI is a useful measure of whether or not you’re a healthy weight, it isn’t appropriate for everyone. There are a number of groups of people where a BMI result should be considered carefully, or where it may not even be appropriate to use at all.
Girls and boys develop differently and have different amounts of body fat at different ages. Therefore, a child’s age and sex are taken into account when looking at their BMI.
As we age, we tend to have more body fat and less muscle, so BMI may underestimate body fat in older people.
Athletes and people with a lot of muscle may have a high BMI but actually not have much body fat.
Pregnant women gain weight as a result of their developing baby. However, it’s still preferable to have a healthy BMI before becoming pregnant to reduce health risks to both you and your developing baby.
Certain ethnic groups, such as black or Asian, are at risk of certain health problems at a lower BMI than others. Speak to your GP or practice nurse for more information.
