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Do you what is the normal Body Mass Index (BMI) of a healthy human? No, Don’t worry this blog will give you every detail of BMI, BMI Formula, BMI index, How to calculate BMI, lean body mass, obesity, etc.
BMI Meaning
It stands for the Body Mass Index of an individual. It is a popular and efficient way to categorize people of different weights appropriately.
The Body Mass Index value is derived from the mass (weight) and height of that person. The Body Mass Index is given by body mass divided by height squared. It’s usually expressed in kilograms per meter square (kg/m²). Here, kilograms are the unit of weight and meters are the unit of height.
BMI Normal Range | What is a normal BMI?
BMI over 25 and below 20 are often associated with low health and fitness. The best BMI range is considered between 20-25. However, it has been observed that the ideal range varies with race. It was observed that a BMI which might be nice for Europeans is unhealthy for Asians.
It has to be noted that the Body Mass Index has several limitations too. When applied to people with short stature, abdominal obesity, or very high muscle mass, the Body Mass Index is less useful.
History of BMI
The Body Mass Index system was derived by Lambert Adolphe Jacques Quetelet. Quetelet was a Belgian astronomer, mathematician, sociologist, and statistician. He devised the system in the 1830s to estimate the physical health and well-being of a person.
The system was derived from a very basic formula where the weight of a person in kilograms was to be divided by the square of their height measured in meters.
Quetelet originally referred to his ideas as “Social Physics”. Later, Ancel Keys published a paper in the 1972 July edition of the ‘Journal of Chronic Diseases, where he gave it the term ‘Body Mass Index”.
Keys suggested in the paper that while BMI was good appropriate for population studies, it was not good for evaluating individuals on their own. However, due to its constant increase in popularity and simplicity, it is being used for preliminary diagnoses.
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How BMI is calculated | Formula of BMI
The formula to calculate the Body Mass Index (BMI) of a person is simple. The person only needs to know his body weight and height. The formula to calculate the body mass index of a person is by dividing the mass of the person in kg by the square of the height of the person in meters.
BMI Calculator = Body Mass (Kg) / Height² (Meters)
If the person is using pounds and inches to calculate the body mass index then a conversion factor of 703 must be applied.
BMI Formula = Body Mass (pounds) / Height² (inches) × 703
Categorization
The BMI (Body Mass Index) is used to categorize people based on how much their weight varies from the average healthy expected weight.
Muscularity or body fat affects the readings of an individual’s Body Mass Index (BMI) significantly.
The World Health Organization (WHO) considers a BMI of less than 18.5 to be underweight and malnourished whereas BMI over 25 is considered overweight. Having a body mass index above 30 means a person suggests really bad eating and exercise habits and the person is considered to be suffering from obesity.
Another important figure related to the BMI or body mass index is the BMI prime. BMI prime refers to the ratio of the Body Mass Index (BMI) to the upper limit of healthy weight. Generally, a BMI score between 0.74-1.00 is considered healthy.
BMI Index
| Category | Body Mass Index (BMI) | BMI prime |
| Underweight | < 18.5 | < 0.74 |
| Healthy Weight (Normal) | 18.5 – 24.9 | 0.74 – 0.99 |
| Overweight | 25.0 – 29.9 | 1.00 – 1.99 |
| Obese | > 29.9 | > 1.99 |
BMI Chart
One of the most common complaints regarding the BMI system is that it doesn’t account for differences in various bodies. It uses the same method and formula for everyone.
The Body Mass Index of a person does not take into account factors such as-
- The measurements of the waist or hips
- The distribution or proportion of fat
- The proportion of Muscle Mass
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Body Mass Index Weight & Height Guide Chart
As clear by the definition of the Body Mass Index, it highly depends on the variance of a person’s weight with his height. A chart to display how the weight and height relate to each other according to BMI is given below.
| Height | Normal Weight | Overweight | Obesity | Severe Obesity |
| 4ft 10″ (58″) | 91-115 lbs | 119 – 138 lbs | 143 – 186 lbs | 191 – 258 lbs |
| 4ft 11″ (59″) | 94 – 119 lbs | 124 – 143 lbs | 148 – 193 lbs | 198 – 267 lbs |
| 5ft (60″) | 97 – 123 lbs | 128 – 148 lbs | 153 – 199 lbs | 204 – 276 lbs |
| 5ft 1″ (61″) | 100 – 127 lbs | 132 – 153 lbs | 158 – 206 lbs | 211 – 285 lbs |
| 5ft 2″ (62″) | 104 – 131 lbs | 136 – 158 lbs | 164 – 213 lbs | 218 – 295 lbs |
| 5ft 3″ (63″) | 107 – 135 lbs | 141 – 163 lbs | 169 – 220 lbs | 225 – 304 lbs |
| 5ft 4″ (64″) | 110 – 140 lbs | 145 – 169 lbs | 174 – 227 lbs | 232 – 314 lbs |
| 5ft 5″ (65″) | 114 – 144 lbs | 150 – 174 lbs | 180 – 234 lbs | 240 – 324 lbs |
| 5ft 6″ (66″) | 118 – 148 lbs | 155 – 179 lbs | 186 – 241 lbs | 247 – 334 lbs |
| 5ft 7″ (67″) | 121- 153 lbs | 159 – 185 lbs | 191 – 249 lbs | 255 – 344 lbs |
| 5ft 8″ (68″) | 125 – 158 lbs | 164 – 190 lbs | 197 – 256 lbs | 262 – 354 lbs |
| 5ft 9″ (69″) | 128 – 162 lbs | 169 – 196 lbs | 203 – 263 lbs | 270 – 365 lbs |
| 5ft 10″ (70″) | 132 – 167 lbs | 174 – 202 lbs | 209 – 271 lbs | 278 – 376 lbs |
| 5ft 11″ (71″) | 136 – 172 lbs | 179 – 208 lbs | 215 – 279 lbs | 286 – 386 lbs |
| 6ft (72″) | 140 – 177 lbs | 184 – 213 lbs | 221 – 287 lbs | 294 – 397 lbs |
| 6ft 1″ (73″) | 144 – 182 lbs | 189 – 219 lbs | 227 – 295 lbs | 302 – 408 lbs |
| 6ft 2″ (74″) | 148 – 186 lbs | 194 – 225 lbs | 233 – 303 lbs | 311 – 420 lbs |
| 6ft 3″ (75″) | 152 – 192 lbs | 200 – 232 lbs | 240 – 311 lbs | 319 – 431 lbs |
| 6ft 4″ (76″) | 156 – 197 lbs | 205 – 238 lbs | 246 – 320 lbs | 328 – 443 lbs |
| BMI | 19 – 24 | 25 – 29 | 30 – 39 | 40 – 54 |
Results of Higher BMI in Adults
Having an unhealthy BMI value can indicate many physical problems. A person with a very high BMI usually suffers from Obesity and obesity can lead to many other diseases, such as:-
- Stroke
- Type 2 Diabetes
- Hypertension
- Dyslipidemia
- Infertility
- Colon Cancer
And many more, including at least 10 different kinds of Cancer.
Limitations
Body Mass Index has its limitations in use as we briefly discussed before.
Some issues associated with BMI are-
- The scaling and formula seem arbitrary and have problems.
- Assumptions made by the system regarding Muscle and Fat mass are not accurate.
- The Categories seem to vary.
The Body Mass Index, despite its limitations, remains one of the most useful measurement systems today.
What is obesity mean?
For adult men & women, a BMI range between 18.5 to 24.9 is considered healthy or a normal BMI range. Overweight or obesity is defined as a BMI between 25.0 to 29.9. And a BMI of 30 or higher is considered obese.
What is lean body mass?
Lean body mass consists of your ligaments, bones, internal organs, tendons, muscles, and water. In other words, lean body mass consists of everything in your body except the fat. Basically lean body mass includes components whose weight cannot be changed easily. For exp – the weight of your internal organs and the loss or gain of skeletal muscle mass is the main reason for the change in lean body mass.
Lean Body mass is considered healthy if it is somewhere around 60 – 90% of your total body weight.
If a woman has a lean body mass below 68 %, it is not healthy, whereas it is unhealthy for a man if it is less than 75 % of lean body mass.
How is lean body mass calculated?
Lean body mass is calculated as the difference between total body weight & body fat weight. In other words, lean body mass is the weight of everything except the fat.
The healthy range of lean body mass is considered to be around 70% – 90% with women being towards the lower end of the range and men higher.
To calculate your lean body mass at home, the simplest way is to have a body composition monitor which will accurately measure your body fat %. If your body fat percentage is 27%, your lean body mass will be 73%.
5 important reasons to maintain lean body mass
1. Lean Body Mass Combats Obesity
2. Lean Body Mass can Protect against Diabetes and Insulin Resistance
3. Lean Body Mass helps Recovery from Illness or Disease
4. Lean Body Mass keeps your Bones Strong and Healthy
5. Lean Body Mass Reduces your Risk of Falls and Fractures
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If your BMI ranges from 18.5 to 24.9, it means you are in a Healthy Weight range.
BMI Formula = Body Mass (pounds) / Height² (inches) × 703
The normal weigh for a 5’2 female is around 104 to 135 lbs.
BMI Calculator = Body Mass (Kg) / Height² (Meters)
There are many reasons for causing obesity in an individual and they are eating habits, levels of physical activity, and sleep routines.
