Body Mass Index (BMI)

What is a BMI?

The BMI is a ratio of weight to height that is not affected by age, gender, or race.

As a disease, obesity is at the core of many other chronic illnesses – type 2 diabetes, diseases of the heart and cardiovascular system, some types of cancer, depression, arthritis, disordered breathing, deconditioning and gastrointestinal disorders.

Signs & Symptoms

The greatest sign and symptom of obesity is a person’s body mass index (BMI). The BMI is a ratio of weight to height that is not affected by age, gender, or race. A lean person has a BMI of 18.5 or less. At a BMI of 25, a person is considered to be overweight. The higher the BMI, the higher the health risk. You may find out your BMI by looking at the chart below:

Obesity is further defined as follows:
Class 1 obesity: BMI 30-34.9 kg/m2
Class 2 obesity: BMI 35-39.9 kg/m2
Class 3 obesity: BMI ≥ 40 kg/m2
Class 3 obesity is further broken down into:
Class 4 obesity (super-obesity): BMI 50-59.9 kg/m2, and
Class 5 (super-super-obesity): BMI > 60 kg/m2

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Tags:

Obesity

Childhood Obesity