What is a bmi chart?

The Body Mass Index (BMI) Chart is an important tool for helping to assess an individual's overall health and determine risk factors for diseases related to being overweight or underweight. The bmi chart is a numerical guide that uses weight, height and gender to indicate if a person falls into the range of being healthy, overweight, or underweight.

The index was developed by scientist Dr. Ancel Keys in 1972 as a way of analyzing populations and helping create programs for public health. It has since become a popular tool for helping individuals understand their own health statistics and has been adopted by many medical professionals.

The chart calculates an individual's BMI weight value by dividing their body weight in kilograms (kg) by their height squared in meters (m). So, if someone weighs 70 kg and is 1.8 m, they would have a BMI of 21.6. The chart labels the resulting number according to what range your body mass is classed as: Underweight, normal weight, pre-obesity or obesity. People who have very active lifestyles may require further adjustments however due to increased muscle mass which may lead to an overestimation on their calculation.

The BMI Chart isn't completely accurate every person needs to be evaluated on individual circumstances such as age, gender and lifestyle factors but it provides a good indication of how your weight compares with others within your age group which can be very useful if you are trying to achieve a healthy weight or simply want to stay aware of your body mass index number.

It's important not to become too alarmed when you look up your BMI value as the chart should only be used as a general guide from which health professionals such as GPs can work from when looking at your overall health status rather than it being seen as an absolute condition indicator about how healthy you are in general.