Q: What is BMI, and how is it calculated?

A: BMI stands for Body Mass Index, and it is the standard instrument of measure for calculating obesity. By CDC standards, for children of the same age and gender…

Obese is a body-mass index in the 95th percentile or higher, or a measurement above 30.

Overweight is classified as a BMI between the 85th and 94th percentiles. Body Mass indexes between 25 and 29 are generally considered overweight for adults.

To calculate BMI:

1. Take a child’s height in inches and square it (multiply it times itself),

2. Divide weight in pounds by that number

3. Multiply the result by 703 to get body-mass index.

So for example, let’s say your child is 4 feet 2 inches tall and weighs 85 pounds. Her height in inches is 50. Multiply this by itself and you come up with 2,500. Next divide her weight by this number. (85 divided by 2,500=0.034). Finally, multiply that number by 703, and you get a body mass index of 23.902

Keywords: calculating BMI, How to calculate BMI