Doctors and medical practitioners measure obesity in terms of Body Mass Index (often referred to as BMI). A persons BMI will indicate what weight band they fall in to, for example, overweight, underweight or obese. BMI is calculated by dividing a persons weight in kg by their height in meters squared. The table below shows the different bands:
BMI Weight Status
Below 20 Underweight
20 – 25 Acceptable Weight Range
25.0 – 30.0 Overweight
Over 30.0 - Clinically Obese
Over 40 - Morbidly Obese
A person is termed obese if their BMI is over 30. If it is over 40 then they are clinically obese. Obesity can lead to and influence a number of conditions including Cardiovascular disease, High blood pressure, Osteoarthritis, Some cancers and Diabetes.
How to Calculate your BMI?
You can calculate someone's BMI by using the following formula BMI = Weight (kg) divided by height (in meters squared). Therefore an acceptable weight range for a woman of 5'6" (1.65 meters) is anything from 54.5kg to 68kg!
Body Mass Index Chart
