How to calculate your BMI
BMI is an acronym for the words Body Mass Index, and is popularly said a figure for the connection between your weight and your height. BMI can be easily be calculated using either our online bmi calculater, or you can use the following formula:
Weight in kg / (height in meters * height in meters)
An example: I am 1.8 meters tall, and weighs 80 kg. It gives the following calculation: 80 / (1.8 * 1.8) = 24.69. Therefore I am of normal weight – Sort of;)
A BMI below 18 suggests that you are undernourished, BMI between 18 and 25, indicates that you are normal weight. BMI between 25 and 30 are overweight, and finally a BMI over 30 suggests obesity. Note that I use the word “suggests” instead of “this means”. The BMI calculation has the downside that it can not be used by people under 18, and if you are athletic, muscular or strong bone, a bmi calculation also may give a misleading result.
So what is the correct weight?
The right weight is dependend on a lot of factors and is often an estimate, if in doubt you should contact your doctor. You should not use a BMI calculation as anything but a means to track your weight, or a tool in a diet.
How do you reduce your BMI?
If you look at the formula for calculating BMI, it would be most effective to reduce your height, as BMI is dependent on the height x the height. However, it is probably not an option for many people to reduce their height. Therefore, we must look at the second option, namely weight loss. There are no easy shortcuts to permanent weight loss, only hard work and changing your diet – not just in one period but for the rest of your live. How you do it will be too comprehensive for this website to deal with, but take a look around the Internet and you will probably find lots of great advise.