Very frequently the acronym BMI is thrown around in diet magazines and health websites. The truth is that most people don’t even know what BMI stands, and if they do they don’t know what it means. BMI stands for body mass index which is an indictor for a given individuals body fatness. Body mass index is calculated by using height and weight to find a person body fat percentage. Specifically It is calculated by dividing weight by height squared. The World Health Organization defines a BMI value of 18.5 to 24.9 as normal. Overweight is defined as having a BMI value of 25.0 to 29.9, while a BMI of more than 30 is considered obese. A BMI of less than 18.5 is defined as underweight. BMI is a simple system so these values should not be taken too critically. For example an NFL line backer would be
considered obese because the BMI does not take muscle in account. For regular every day people though the BMI is a fast way to get an estimate of your body fat. The main purpose of the BMI is to quickly tell if you are overweight which ultimately means you are at risk for many health problems.
