n. (Abbr. BMI)
A measurement of the relative percentages of fat and muscle mass in the human body, in which mass in kilograms is divided by height in meters squared and the result used as an index of obesity.
| Dictionary: body mass index |
A measurement of the relative percentages of fat and muscle mass in the human body, in which mass in kilograms is divided by height in meters squared and the result used as an index of obesity.
| 5min Related Video: body mass index |
| Statistics Dictionary: Quetelet index |
An index of obesity, given as the ratio (weight in kg)/(height in m)2. A person with an index greater than 30 is officially obese.
| Food and Nutrition: body mass index |
An index of fatness and obesity. The weight (in kg) divided by the square of height (in m). The acceptable (desirable) range is 20-25. Above 25 is overweight, and above 30 is obesity. BMI below the lower end of the acceptable range indicates undernutrition and wasting. Also called Quetelet's index. See also
| Food and Fitness: body mass index |
An index of weight for height, calculated as:
BMI = weight in kg/ (height in metre)2Measurements are for a subject barefooted and without clothes. You can use the above equation to calculate your own BMI (if measurements are made in pounds and inches, divide pounds by 2.2 to convert to kilograms, and divide inches by 39.4 to convert to metres).

| BMI | CONDITION |
|---|---|
| <20 | underweight (may need to gain weight) |
| 20-25 | advisable range |
| 25-30 | overweight (some weight loss may be beneficial to health) |
| 30-40 | obese (need to lose weight) |
| >35 | severely obese (urgent need to lose weight; advised to consult doctor) |
| Measures and Units: body mass index |
health The ratio of a person's mass in kilograms to the square of their height in metres. Providing a rough correction for mass relative to height, it is approximately 20 for a ‘trim’ person, 25 for overweight, 30 for obese.
| Sports Science and Medicine: body mass index |
An estimate of body composition used extensively as an indicator of obesity. BMI = weight in kg/ (height in metre)2. The index does not correlate well with stature, but has a strong positive correlation with skinfold measurements. The assumption that the index is always a good reflection of body fat is not always true. Lean, but heavy individuals, such as weight-lifters, may have a high BMI, but they are not obese.
| BMI (abbreviation) | |
| desirable ranges of weight-for-height | |
| Overweight (in medicine) |
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![]() | Dictionary. The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2007. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. Read more | |
![]() | Statistics Dictionary. A Dictionary of Statistics. Second edition revised. Copyright © Oxford University Press, 2008. All rights reserved. Read more | |
![]() | Food and Nutrition. A Dictionary of Food and Nutrition. Copyright © 1995, 2003, 2005 by A. E. Bender and D. A. Bender. All rights reserved. Read more | |
![]() | Food and Fitness. Food and Fitness: A Dictionary of Diet and Exercise. Copyright © 1997, 2003 by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. Read more | |
![]() | Measures and Units. A Dictionary of Weights, Measures, and Units. Copyright © Donald Fenna 2002, 2004. All rights reserved. Read more | |
![]() | Sports Science and Medicine. The Oxford Dictionary of Sports Science & Medicine. Copyright © Michael Kent 1998, 2006, 2007. All rights reserved. Read more |
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