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The body mass index (BMI) is an indirect method to assess a person's body composition. The BMI assesses a person's body weight relative to height. It correlates highly with body fat. 
Body composition is a measure of a person’s overall physical fitness.

The body mass index is a formula to assess a person's body weight relative to height. It's a useful, indirect measure of body composition, because it correlates highly with body fat in most people. 

Weight in kilograms is divided by height in meters squared (kg/m²). Or multiply weight in pounds by 705, divide by height in inches, then divide again by height in inches. In studies by the National Center for Health Statistics,

• BMI values less than 18.5 are considered underweight.
• BMI values from 18.5 to 24.9 are classified as normal.
• Overweight is defined as a BMI of 25.0 to less than 30.0 
• Obesity is defined as a BMI of 30.0 or greater .
• Extreme obesity is defined as a BMI of 40 or greater.

 To calculate your BMI using the table below, you need:

• your weight 
• your height

Body Mass Index Table (for adults only)

 

Weight (pounds)	Height (in feet and inches)
	5.0	5.2	5.4	5.6	5.8	5.10	6.0	6.2	6.4	6.6	6.8
100	20	18	17	16	15	14	14	13	12	12	11
105	21	19	18	17	16	15	14	14	13	12	12
110	22	20	19	18	17	16	15	14	13	13	12
115	23	21	20	19	18	17	16	15	14	13	13
120	23	22	21	19	18	17	16	15	14	14	13
125	24	23	22	20	19	18	17	16	15	14	14
130	25	24	22	21	20	19	18	17	16	15	14
135	26	25	23	22	21	19	18	17	16	16	15
140	27	26	24	23	21	20	19	18	17	16	15
145	28	27	25	23	22	21	20	19	18	17	16
150	29	27	26	24	23	22	20	19	18	17	17
155	30	28	27	25	24	22	21	20	19	18	17
160	31	29	28	26	24	23	22	21	20	19	18
165	32	30	28	27	25	24	22	21	20	19	18
170	33	31	29	27	26	24	23	22	21	20	19
175	34	32	30	28	27	25	24	23	21	20	19
180	35	33	31	29	27	26	24	23	22	21	20
185	36	34	32	30	28	27	25	24	23	21	20
190	37	35	33	31	29	27	26	24	23	22	21
195	38	36	34	32	30	28	27	25	24	23	21
200	39	37	34	32	30	29	27	26	24	23	22
205	40	38	35	33	31	29	28	26	25	24	23
210	41	38	36	34	32	30	29	27	26	24	23
215	42	39	37	35	33	31	29	28	26	25	24
220	43	40	38	36	34	32	30	28	27	25	24
225	44	41	39	36	34	32	30	29	27	26	25
230	45	42	40	37	35	33	31	30	28	27	25
235	46	43	40	38	36	34	32	30	29	27	26
240	47	44	41	39	37	35	33	31	29	28	26
245	48	45	42	40	37	35	33	32	30	28	27
250	49	46	43	40	38	36	34	32	30	29	28
255	50	47	44	41	39	37	35	33	31	30	28
260	51	48	45	42	40	37	35	33	32	30	29
265	52	49	46	43	40	38	36	34	32	31	29
270	53	49	46	44	41	39	37	35	33	31	30
275	54	50	47	44	42	40	37	35	34	32	30
280	55	51	48	45	43	40	38	36	34	32	31
285	56	52	49	46	43	41	39	37	35	33	31
290	57	53	50	47	44	42	39	37	35	34	32
295	58	54	51	48	45	42	40	38	36	34	32
300	59	55	52	49	46	43	41	39	37	35	33