Body Mass Index

Okay, So I'm surfing around the internet and run across some body mass index calculators and think to myself that this might be a useful tool to pass on to who ever stumbles across my blog. So here you go.

Body mass index calculator downloads

BMI Calculator

BMI Calculator from http://www.whathealth.com/

BMI Calculator 2

And if you don't want to download the calculators here is a cool chart from the CDC.

Body Mass Chart (Double Click Image To Enlarge)

Now I'm not a true believer in the Body Mass Index because the theory behind it is really old, the concept was dreamed up between 1830 and 1850 by the Belgian polymath Adolphe Quetelet during the course of developing "social physics". And here is what the numbers mean.

Category	BMI range - kg/m2	BMI Prime	Mass (weight) of a 1.8 metres (5 ft 11 in) person with this BMI
Severely underweight	less than 16.5	less than 0.66	under 53.5 kilograms (8.42 st; 118 lb)
Underweight	from 16.5 to 18.5	from 0.66 to 0.74	between 53.5 and 60 kilograms (8.42 and 9.45 st; 118 and 132 lb)
Normal	from 18.5 to 25	from 0.74 to 1.0	between 60 and 81 kilograms (9.4 and 13 st; 130 and 180 lb)
Overweight	from 25 to 30	from 1.0 to 1.2	between 81 and 97 kilograms (12.8 and 15.3 st; 180 and 210 lb)
Obese Class I	from 30 to 35	from 1.2 to 1.4	between 97 and 113 kilograms (15.3 and 17.8 st; 210 and 250 lb)
Obese Class II	from 35 to 40	from 1.4 to 1.6	between 113 and 130 kilograms (17.8 and 20.5 st; 250 and 290 lb)
Obese Class III	over 40	over 1.6	over 130 kilograms (20 st; 290 lb)

Body Mass Index Formula

BMI = ( kg/m² )	(weight in pounds * 703 )
	————————————
	height in inches²

BMI = ( kg/m² )	weight in kilograms
	————————————
	height in meters²

Generally when I'm not working out by this chart I'm stuck in the Obese Class I category, but when I'm at about 200 lbs I'm still considered overweight. The funny thing is at 200 lbs I'm sporting a six pack. So whats the deal? I think the pros of a body mass index is that it can give you an indication of your general physical state but the con is that it doesn't work for everyone and I think that's most everyone. As a general rule of thumb I think I'll stick with the tape measure, my blood pressure and resting pulse rate for a more accurate indication. Besides all that it is kinda fun to play with.

So enjoy.
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