Although there are questions that surround the accuracy of body mass index (BMI)as a mechanism for measuring the body fatness of an individual, the BMI calculator is a tool that is used globally by such organizations as the Center for Disease Control (CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO). Inputting a person’s height and weight returns a numeric value that is representative of a classification that ranges from severely underweight to morbidly obese. There are health risks for those that are not in what is considered the normal range.
While there is still a need to be diagnosed by a physician should a person feel that they have a problem, the BMI calculator can help to evaluate health pertinent to nutrition and fitness. There are many available on the web and are easily accessible and easy to use.
A numeric representation of the weight consideration of a person is returned after height and weight are entered into the calculator, along with age and sex of the person. The numbers range from the low teens, where anything under 16 is recognized as emaciated, to over 40, which is considered morbidly obese and over 30 obese. The range for normal weight falls between 18.5 and 24.9.
Two components of a person’s weight are that of frame size and muscularity, which the BMI calculator fails to account for when determining how fat a person is. Another issue is that in some cases, differing countries or organizations recognize the ranges of numbers slightly different. While this does not occur often and is not a significant problem, it should be noted.
There are other mechanisms that may be able to help ascertain whether an individual’s weight is cause for concern when a high numeric value is returned. Consulting a physician for a skin fold test is a good idea if the person is more athletic or larger-boned than the average person. Athletes tend to have high levels of muscle mass and large framed individuals tend to have high levels of bone mass. These may cause the BMI to be inaccurate.
The measurements also vary between adults and children, and between the age and sex of an adult. Most BMI calculators take all factors into consideration. When keying in information, many now ask for the age and the sex of the person that is being evaluated. Generally, women and the elderly have a higher percentage of body fat.
Children, on the other hand, use a different calculation to account for their changing size and the differences between boys and girls. Most sites that offer a BMI calculator application will provide an option to select one that is meant for children. The adult version should not be used.
As a person’s body fatness may be a measure of overall health, the BMI calculator as a measure of weight relative to height is a good means by which to conduct a measure health. The standards set by the WHO can help to determine whether an individual is over- or underweight. It is generally thought that those who are obese are subject to more negative consequences; however the other end of the spectrum can be cause for concern as well.
Learn more about the BMI Calculator as a determinant of health now in our guide to all you need to know about how to easily calculate bmi .