When dealing with issues of health and weight, one cannot escape the concept of BMI. BMI, the acronym for “Body Mass Index,” indicates a person’s levels of body fatness from a ratio of their weight and height. Usually, having a BMI of 30 or more is considered obese. Because BMI is age- and sex-specific, it is important to consider that numbers like “30″ can be arbitrary. Hundreds of websites offer different types of tables and graphs to help visitors perform the correct calculations to determine into which percentile (ranging from extremely underweight to obese) they fit. Through these representations one can categorize their health in comparison with the national averages and the preferred, healthy, ideals.
Still, I find that the easiest way to calculate one’s BMI is through a BMI calculator like the one offered at this website published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: http://apps.nccd.cdc.gov/dnpabmi/Calculator.aspx
The specific calculator shown on the page suggested above works for children and teens aged 2 to 19 years old. Another link on the website connects to the adult BMI calculator: http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/healthyweight/assessing/bmi/adult_BMI/english_bmi_calculator/bmi_calculator.htm
It takes only seconds to enter your birth date, weight, height, and sex. Try these sites for a quick and easy way to be knowledgeable about your BMI or the BMI of a loved one.
