What is BMI

BMI stands for Body Mass index. It is an estimate of the total amount of body fat and is dependent on a ratio of height to weight

We should aim to fall somewhere in the BMI healthy weight range of 20 - 25 BMI. A BMI less than 19 is considered to be a low BMI for most people. Though it is not always unhealthy it may be associated with health problems in some people. A BMI of 20-25 is considered to be good. It may indicate a healthy weight for most people. A BMI of greater than 25 is considered to be high and can indicate being overweight. BMI of above 30 indicates obesity and a BMI of above 40 indicates morbid obesity.

Note: A BMI greater than 25 is not always to do with too much fat as BMI does not differentiate between muscle and fat so an athlete may be muscular, with little body fat, yet they may weigh more. The BMI scale is also not suitable for children as results change with age or pregnant women.

A BMI graph is available here.