Is Your Weight Affecting Your Health?

Your Body Mass Index (BMI) is a tool that can help adults determine whether you are at risk for a weight-related illness by correlating the ratio between your height and weight with body fat. The body mass index (BMI) is an index number (a ratio of weight/height) that has been used in nutrition research to determine which height/weight relationship are safer, and which numbers correspond to greater risk. BMI is used as a screening tool to identify possible weight problems for adults. However, BMI is not a diagnostic tool. For example, a person may have a high BMI. However, to determine if excess weight is a health risk, a healthcare provider would need to perform further assessments. These assessments might include skin-fold thickness measurements, evaluations of diet, physical activity, family history, and other appropriate health screenings. Being overweight puts strain on your heart and can lead to serious health problems. These problems include Type 2 diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, sleep apnea, varicose veins, and other chronic conditions. More than 300,000 lives could be saved in the United States each year if everyone maintained a healthy weight! Note: The BMI ranges used in this calculator derive from the BMI guidelines of the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), in cooperation with the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), of the National Institutes of Health, as published in Clinical Guidelines on the Identification, Evaluation, and Treatment of Overweight and Obesity in Adults, 1998.

How To Determine Your Body Mass Index (BMI) Find your height in inches across the top of the chart and then locate your weight down the left side column. Where the weight and height boxes come together, that is your BMI. 5 ft. = 60 inches                                                6 ft. = 72 inches
Weight in Pounds	Height in Inches
	56	57	58	59	60	61	62	63	64	65	66	67	68	69	70	71	72	73	74	75	76
100	22	22	21	20	20	19	18	18	17	17	16	16	15	15	14	14	14	13	13	13	12
105	24	23	22	21	21	20	19	19	18	18	17	16	16	16	15	15	14	14	14	13	13
110	25	24	23	22	22	21	20	20	19	18	18	17	17	16	16	15	15	15	14	14	13
115	26	25	24	23	23	22	21	20	20	19	19	18	18	17	17	16	16	15	15	14	14
120	27	26	25	24	23	23	22	21	21	20	19	19	18	18	17	17	16	16	15	15	15
125	28	27	26	25	24	24	23	22	22	21	20	20	19	18	18	17	17	17	16	16	15
130	29	28	27	26	25	25	24	23	22	22	21	20	20	19	19	18	18	17	17	16	16
135	30	29	28	27	26	26	25	24	23	23	22	21	21	20	19	19	18	18	17	17	16
140	31	30	29	28	27	27	26	25	24	23	23	22	21	21	20	20	19	19	18	18	17
145	33	31	30	29	28	27	27	26	25	24	23	23	22	21	21	20	20	19	19	18	18
150	34	33	31	30	29	28	27	27	26	25	24	24	23	22	22	21	20	20	19	19	18
155	35	34	32	31	30	29	28	28	27	26	25	24	24	23	22	22	21	20	20	19	19
160	36	35	34	32	31	30	29	28	28	27	26	25	24	24	23	22	22	21	21	20	20
165	37	36	35	33	32	31	30	29	28	28	27	26	25	24	24	23	22	22	21	21	20
170	38	37	36	34	33	32	31	30	29	28	27	27	26	25	24	24	23	22	22	21	21
175	39	38	37	35	34	33	32	31	30	29	28	27	27	26	25	24	24	23	23	22	21
180	40	39	38	36	35	34	33	31	31	30	29	28	27	27	26	25	24	24	23	23	22
185	42	40	39	37	36	35	34	33	32	31	30	29	28	27	27	26	25	24	24	23	23
190	43	41	40	38	37	36	35	34	33	32	31	30	29	28	27	27	26	26	24	24	23
195	44	42	41	39	38	37	36	35	34	33	32	31	30	29	28	27	27	26	25	24	24
200	45	43	42	40	39	38	37	36	34	33	32	31	30	30	29	28	27	26	26	25	24
205	46	44	43	41	40	39	38	36	35	34	33	32	31	30	29	29	28	27	26	26	25
210	47	46	44	43	41	40	38	37	36	35	34	33	32	31	30	29	29	28	27	26	26
215	48	47	45	44	42	41	39	38	37	36	35	34	33	32	31	30	29	28	28	27	26
220	49	48	46	45	43	42	40	39	38	37	36	35	34	33	32	31	30	29	28	28	27
225	51	49	47	46	44	43	41	40	39	38	36	35	34	33	32	31	31	30	29	278	27
230	52	50	48	47	45	44	42	41	40	38	37	36	35	34	33	32	31	30	30	29	28
235	53	51	49	48	46	44	43	42	40	39	38	37	36	35	34	33	32	31	30	29	29
240	54	52	50	49	47	45	44	43	41	40	39	38	37	36	35	34	33	32	31	30	29
245	55	53	51	50	48	46	45	43	42	41	40	38	37	36	35	34	33	32	32	31	30
250	56	54	52	51	49	47	46	44	43	42	40	39	38	37	36	35	34	33	32	31	30
255	57	55	53	52	50	48	47	45	44	43	41	40	39	38	37	36	35	34	33	32	31
260	58	56	54	53	51	49	48	46	45	43	42	41	40	38	37	36	35	34	33	33	32
265	60	57	56	54	52	50	49	47	46	44	43	42	40	39	38	37	36	35	34	33	32
270	61	59	57	55	53	51	49	48	46	45	44	42	41	40	39	38	37	36	35	34	33
275	62	60	58	56	54	52	50	49	47	46	44	43	42	41	40	38	37	36	35	34	34
280	63	61	59	57	55	53	51	50	48	47	45	44	42	41	40	9	38	37	36	35	34
Health Risk Classification According to Body Mass Index (BMI)Note: For persons 65 years and older the 'normal' range may begin slightly above BMI 18.5 and extend into the 'overweight' range.   Classification BMI Category Risk of developing health problems Underweight < 18.5 Increased Normal Weight 18.5 - 24.9 Least Overweight 25.0 - 29.9 Increased Obese 30.0 - 34.9 High Obese 35.0 - 39.9 Very high Morbidly obese >= 40.0 Extremely high