Understanding Body Mass Index (BMI) & Adult Health
Body Mass Index (BMI) is an internationally recognized screening metric established by the World Health Organization (WHO) to categorize whether an adult is underweight, healthy weight, overweight, or obese based on tissue mass and height.
1. The Metric BMI Formula
BMI = Weight (kg) / [Height (m)]²For example, an individual weighing 70 kg with a height of 175 cm (1.75 m) has a BMI of:
70 / (1.75 × 1.75) = 70 / 3.0625 = 22.86 (Normal Weight)
2. Official WHO Adult BMI Categories
- Underweight: BMI less than 18.5
- Normal / Healthy Weight: BMI 18.5 – 24.9
- Overweight: BMI 25.0 – 29.9
- Obese (Class I & II): BMI 30.0 and above
3. Test Your BMI Instantly
You can check your personalized BMI score and health category right now with our free BMI Health Calculator. It computes your score in real-time with zero registration required.