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Body Mass Index (BMI) is a tool used to sort an individual’s weight into one of four categories: underweight, healthy weight, overweight, and obesity1. BMI compares a person’s height with their weight. BMI is used by many health professionals such as pediatricians, physicians, and dietitians to find out if a person may be at a greater risk of developing health conditions that are associated with having a higher weight1. For example, a person who has a BMI that falls within the obese range has a higher risk of having medical issues such as high blood pressure, diabetes, high cholesterol, and sleep apnea, to name a few1. Knowing one’s BMI can help your doctor or other health professionals aid in helping you stay on the path of reaching and maintaining a healthy weight! You can easily calculate your BMI at home using the formula and the chart below!
If your BMI indicates that your weight status is overweight or obese, contact your local doctor or nutritionist to learn more about how you and your family can make lifestyle changes that will allow you to be your healthiest!
References
1Centers of Disease Control and Prevention [CDC] (2021). About adult BMI. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. https://www.cdc.gov/healthyweight/assessing/bmi/adult_bmi/index.html
Contributors
Author: Mercedes Martin
Editor: Kaitlyn Longstaff
Public Health Scientist: LaCher E-W, MPH
@werise4wellness