Body mass index - A statistical device

The body mass index (BMI) is a calculated number, based on height and weight, used to compare and analyse the health effects of body weight on human bodies of all heights. It was developed by the Belgian polymath Adolphe Quetelet in the course of working out his system of "social physics", between 1830 and 1850 (and is therefore also known as the Quetelet Index). It is equal to the weight, div ...

Including:

• Body mass index - A statistical device
• Body mass index - BMI in practice
• Body mass index - Clinical uses
• Body mass index - BMI thresholds
• Body mass index - Concerns about BMI
• Body mass index - Recommended BMI thresholds
• Body mass index - Notes

Read more here: » Body mass index: Encyclopedia - Body mass index

Human bodies rank along the index from around 15 (near starvation) to over 40 (morbidly obese). This statistical 'curve' is usually described using more familiar categories, for easier comprehension by health professionals; eg, severe underweight, underweight, optimum weight, pre-obese, obese, morbidly obese. The exact index values used to determine weight categories vary from authority to authority, but in general a BMI less than 18.5 is underweight and may indicate malnutrition, an eating disorder, or other health problem, while a BMI greater than 25 is overweight and above 30 is considered obese. These rang ...

See also:

Body mass index, Body mass index - A statistical device, Body mass index - BMI in practice, Body mass index - Clinical uses, Body mass index - BMI thresholds, Body mass index - Concerns about BMI, Body mass index - Recommended BMI thresholds, Body mass index - Notes

Read more here: » Body mass index: Encyclopedia II - Body mass index - BMI thresholds

Given the reservations detailed above concerning the limitations of the BMI as a diagnostic tool for individuals, the following are common definitions of BMI thresholds: For Males: Underweight: less than 20 (<20) Ideal: greater than or equal to 20 but less than 25 (>=20 but <25) Overweight: greater than or equal to 25 but less than 30 (>=25 but <30 ...

See also:

Body mass index, Body mass index - A statistical device, Body mass index - BMI in practice, Body mass index - Clinical uses, Body mass index - BMI thresholds, Body mass index - Concerns about BMI, Body mass index - Recommended BMI thresholds, Body mass index - Notes

Read more here: » Body mass index: Encyclopedia II - Body mass index - Recommended BMI thresholds

Since BMI is merely a statistical estimate of adiposity, it is possible to have a BMI above 30, yet not be obese. A bodybuilder, for example, can have a BMI above 30 because of a high percentage of muscle mass. Health recommendations made to such an individual cannot be based on their BMI. Similarly, elder patients with very low muscle and bone mass may be clinically obese while scoring within optimum BMI ranges. Both extreme cases serve as a reminder that the BMI is not designed for use as a clinical diagnostic tool, but is rather an ...

See also:

Body mass index, Body mass index - A statistical device, Body mass index - BMI in practice, Body mass index - Clinical uses, Body mass index - BMI thresholds, Body mass index - Concerns about BMI, Body mass index - Recommended BMI thresholds, Body mass index - Notes

Read more here: » Body mass index: Encyclopedia II - Body mass index - Concerns about BMI

The BMI has been used to define the medical standard for obesity measurement in several countries since the early 1980s, and is the measure employed in World Health Organization (WHO) obesity statistics. In the late 1990s and early 2000s the BMI became more familiar to a wider public through government-sponsored public health projects, intended to encourage fitness and healthy eating. The use of the BMI has the advantage of allowing the assessment of changes over time within a community. This simple indicator can be used to evaluate the impact of intervention strat ...

See also:

Body mass index, Body mass index - A statistical device, Body mass index - BMI in practice, Body mass index - Clinical uses, Body mass index - BMI thresholds, Body mass index - Concerns about BMI, Body mass index - Recommended BMI thresholds, Body mass index - Notes

Read more here: » Body mass index: Encyclopedia II - Body mass index - BMI in practice