Body Mass Index:
Are You at a Healthy Weight?
Body Mass Index (BMI) is a tool used to spot weight problems in adults and children. Weighing too much usually means having too much body fat, which is not healthy. Measuring body fat is very hard too do without special equipment. BMI is a simple calculation. It is an indicator of fatness, but does not measure body fat directly. This means that someone with a lot of muscle, like a body builder, may have a higher BMI, but this extra body weight may not be a health risk. It does not diagnose overweight and obesity, but is a strong sign that weight may be a health problem.
The healthiest BMI range for adults is 18 to 24. Click on the link below to download a chart to find out your BMI.
Note to health professionals: If you would like produce copies of this chart as a handout or mini poster you can use the pdf file or click here for one that can be use with 4 color process printing.
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