The average height and weight of women varies around the world, but in the United States, the average adult female height was 63.7 inches (approximately 5 feet 3 inches) and 168.5 pounds, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Doctors use body mass index, or BMI, to help determine who is overweight or obese. Although it isn't a perfect measurement, it is free and easy to calculate so it is good for screening patients. If you have a high BMI, you are considered obese, which puts you at higher risk for a number of health conditions.

Body composition is the percentage of bone, muscle, water and fat you carry. The more fat you have, the higher your risk of obesity and cardiovascular disease. The body mass index (BMI) is an internationally used means for measuring your body composition that you or your physician can calculate.

Eating right and working out requires sacrificing your time and some of life's simple pleasures. When you don't see results on the scale, you may be tempted to throw it over for snacks and computer games. Don't despair.

The body mass index, or BMI, is commonly used in doctors' offices as a way to estimate your body fat level. It provides a quick and easy way to evaluate obesity trends in the general population, but the equation can overestimate or underestimate body fat levels in many people.

Body Mass Index, or BMI, measures the relationship between a person’s height and weight. Your BMI indicates whether you are underweight, overweight, obese or at a healthy weight. You can use the same formula to calculate an infant’s BMI that you would use to calculate an adult’s BMI.

At 6-foot-2 your ideal weight can fall into a nearly 50-pound ideal range. Even outside of this range your weight may still be healthy if your body fatness is within the ideal range.

Body mass index, a measurement calculated using height and weight, is often used to help determine if someone is overweight, underweight or at a healthy weight.

Body mass index, or BMI, is a good guideline for keeping track of your weight. Your BMI value can tell you if you are underweight, less than 18.5; healthy weight, 18.5 to 24.9; overweight, 25 to 29.9; or obese, 30 to 39.9.

Maintaining a healthy weight isn't just about aesthetics; being overweight significantly increases your risk of various chronic diseases. One of the ways health providers indirectly measure body fat is by calculating your body mass index, or BMI.

When it comes to the relationship between weight and health, there's no one-size-fits-all ideal you can call on to make sure you're on the right track. If your BMI is 18.5, you're on the low end of what's considered healthy, but you may or may not be at a healthy weight. If you're naturally very slim, a BMI of 18.

Your blood pressure is a good indication of the health of your cardiovascular system. When your blood pressure is high, your heart is working under stressful conditions. A high blood pressure, also called hypertension, is categorized as such when you have chronic readings of 140/90 mmHg or higher.