Last year was a proved that being healthy is a trend that never gets old especially that you can reduce your risk of many diseases by following a healthy lifestyle, eating healthy food and maintaining a healthy weight.

What do you know about BMI?

Body Mass Index (BMI) is a value used to determine whether a person is at a healthy weight or not. You can calculate it for an adult by dividing a person’s weight by the square of their height (kg/m²). A high BMI can indicate overweight and it could alert you to the risk of developing some health problems. You can also calculate your BMI using our BMI calculator for adults.

Age and gender as well as height and weight are taken into account when calculating the BMI for those under 18, while you should not use BMI if you are pregnant and it’s advisable to consult your doctor if you have a concern about your weight during pregnancy.

BMI indication

You have to know first that the healthy range of BMI for most adults is between 18.5 and 24.9, being below or above this range increases your risk for many diseases.

If you have a BMI:

• Less than 18.5, you are underweight, then you will need to increase your calorie intake to reach a healthy weight.
• Between 18.5 and 24.9 means that you are at a healthy weight. Keep going…
• Between 25 and 29.9 – you are overweight.
• Between 30 and 39.9 indicates that you are obese.

If you are overweight or obese, you may need to exercise and cut down your calorie intake and balance them with the calories your body needs. You can also talk to your doctor.

Why use BMI rather than weight?

Because BMI takes into account the body shape, giving a healthy weight range for a given height.

In addition to measuring your BMI, other factors can affect your healthy weight range for example muscles are denser than fats, so boxers, weight trainers, and athletes may be at a healthy weight, although their body mass index indicates that they are obese!