BMI Guide: Calculate Healthy Body Mass Index by Age and Gender

Body Mass Index (BMI) serves as a key indicator of cardiovascular health and general wellness. Learn how to calculate BMI for athletes, children, and amputees, and understand what your results mean.

Body mass index, BMI

What to Do When Your BMI Is Low

Your body mass index, or BMI, is calculated using your height and weight to help your doctor estimate the amount of fat on your body. If your BMI dips below 20, he may show concern that you're underweight, and if it's below 18.5, he may diagnose you as severely underweight.

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Body Mass Index written on paper note

The Average BMI by Age

Knowing the average BMI -- body mass index -- for your age group can help you determine how you compare to other people of the same age, but, even if you have an average BMI, it doesn't necessarily mean you're healthy. In fact, for many age groups, having an average BMI may classify you as overweight.

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Woman running on beach

BMI Exercises

Your body mass index, or BMI, is a measure of your body fat levels based on your height and weight. The National Heart Lung and Blood Institute recommends that adults have a BMI of approximately 18.5 to 24.9. There are certain types of exercises that can help you achieve a healthy BMI.

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Standing on weight scale

BMI Measuring Instruments

The Body Mass Index is a simple tool that estimates body fatness using a mathematical formula. The only instruments necessary to measure your BMI are a scale, a tape measure -- to determine your height -- and a calculator. If you're unsure exactly how to estimate your BMI, talk to your doctor.

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Body mass index BMI

What Are the Benefits of a Low BMI?

Body mass index, also called BMI, is a calculation of a correlation between a personโ€™s height and weight that categorizes him or her as underweight, of normal weight, overweight or obese, assuming a normal body composition. Underweight is considered a BMI of 18.4 or lower.

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