What Is Body Mass Index (BMI)?

Knowing our BMI is one way to look at our overall health

BMI is a screening tool based on height and weight that helps health care providers evaluate weight categories that may lead to health problems in their patients.

BMI categories include:

Underweight icon

Underweight
(BMI of 18.5 or less)

Healthy weight icon

Normal Weight
(BMI of 18.5-24.9)

Overweight icon

Overweight
(BMI of 25-29.9)

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Obesity
(BMI of 30 or greater)


Underweight icon

Another measurement a health care provider may use to start the conversation about weight is waist circumference, which is considered by some experts to be an important measurement when evaluating the health of certain patients.

Calculating BMI

Know your BMI before your next appointment as a starting point when talking about weight management with a health care provider.

What is your BMI?

feet
inches
pounds
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The results of health screenings like BMI and waist circumference may help identify an increased risk of developing other health conditions.

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Bodies come in all shapes and sizes, so BMI may not always be an accurate measure of overall health

  • On average, women have more body fat compared with men with a similar BMI
  • People with a muscular build, such as athletes or bodybuilders, may have a higher BMI even though they may be healthy overall
  • As people get older, they naturally lose muscle definition and tend to have more body fat, which may affect their BMI
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TrueWeight® Report

If you're unsure of how to talk about weight management with a health care provider, complete the TrueWeight® Report to record your weight history and goals for the future, so you’re prepared for your next visit.

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