How are the categories for Body Mass Index (BMI) defined?
BMI is an indicator of someone’s weight adjusted for their height. It is calculated from survey respondents’ reports of their weight and height: BMI = { (weight in lbs.) / [ (height in inches) 2 ] } * 703. The BMI categories are defined by specific BMI values. For adults age 21 and over, the category “Underweight” is defined by BMI less than 18.5, the category “Normal” is defined by BMI of 18.5 – 24.9, the category “Overweight” is defined by BMI of 25.0 – 29.9, and the category “Obese” is defined by BMI 30.0 or above.
BMI is an indicator of someone’s weight adjusted for their height. It is calculated from survey respondents’ reports of their weight and height: BMI = { (weight in lbs.) / [ (height in inches) 2 ] } * 703. The BMI categories are defined by specific BMI values. For adults age 21 and over, the category “Underweight” is defined by BMI less than 18.5, the category “Normal” is defined by BMI of 18.5 – 24.9, the category “Overweight” is defined by BMI of 25.0 – 29.9, and the category “Obese” is defined by BMI 30.0 or above. BMI is not presented for persons under age 21 because the indicator is treated differently for that population using a relative ranking based on age and gender.