

See a GP if you're concerned about your child's weight. Measuring waist size is not routinely recommended for children because it does not take their height into account. very overweight – 98th centile or aboveĪ child's BMI is expressed as a "centile" to show how their BMI compares with children who took part in national surveys.įor example, a girl on the 75th centile is heavier than 75 out of 100 other girls her age.healthy weight – between the 2nd and 91st centiles.underweight – on the 2nd centile or below.The BMI calculator works out if a child or young person is: Overweight children are thought to be at increased risk of a variety of health conditions, and they're also more likely to be overweight as adults. You're at very high risk and should contact a GP if your waist is:įor children and young people aged 2 to 18, the BMI calculator takes into account age and gender as well as height and weight. Regardless of your height or BMI, you should try to lose weight if your waist is: Breathe out naturally before taking the measurement.Wrap a tape measure around your waist midway between these points.Find the bottom of your ribs and the top of your hips.You can have a healthy BMI and still have excess tummy fat, meaning you're still at risk of developing these conditions. Measuring your waist is a good way to check you're not carrying too much fat around your stomach, which can raise your risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes and stroke. Black, Asian and other minority ethnic groupsīlack, Asian and other minority ethnic groups have a higher risk of developing some long-term (chronic) conditions, such as type 2 diabetes. The best way to lose weight if you're obese is through a combination of diet and exercise, and, in some cases, medicines. The BMI calculator will give you a personal calorie allowance to help you achieve a healthy weight safely. The best way to lose weight if you're overweight is through a combination of diet and exercise. Keep up the good work! For tips on maintaining a healthy weight, check out the food and diet and fitness sections. If you're underweight, a GP can help.įind out more in underweight adults Healthy weight Some alternative methods to BMI, including the waist-hip ratio, are discussed in our article, 5 alternatives to BMI.Understanding your BMI result Underweightīeing underweight could be a sign you're not eating enough or you may be ill. For this reason, BMI is not an indicator of obesity on its own. So, someone who has a very muscular physique (a body builder, for example) may have a high BMI without having excess fat. It is important to remember that BMI measurements do not make a distinction between whether you are male or female, whether you have a large or small body frame, whether you have high muscle mass and the areas in which fat isĭistributed around your body. Reference: The practical guide: identification, evaluation, and treatment of overweight and obesity in adults - National Institutes of Health (NIH), National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI).

Using a BMI calculator such as the one on this page, you enter your weight and height measurements.īelow are the BMI classifications for men and women established by the World Health Organization (WHO) and endorsed by leading organizations of The body mass index calculator measurement is the calculation of your body weight in relation to your height and is commonly used as an indicator of whether you might be in a risk category for health problems caused by your weight. Interactive BMI chart is also available to use.
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Learn more about how to use these formulae with our in-depth article on the BMI formula. The official formula for BMI was devised in the 1830sīy Belgian mathematician Adolphe Quetelet. Advertisement BMI formula for men and women Note that you can convert between units of height with our height converter or our cm to feet converter.
