Worrying about our body and weight is a very common and natural problem among all of us. And it is that keeping the body at its ideal weight is vital for our health, since being overweight or being underweight can be very dangerous and uncomfortable. Therefore, knowing and maintaining our proper weight is very important for our physical and mental well-being. In this line, knowing our Body Mass Index (BMI) is very important and recommended, since this way we can control ourselves at what weight we should maintain to be healthy.
And is that the BMI is a measure that associates the mass and size of a person. With this indicator it is possible to calculate if a person is really overweight or underweight or, on the contrary, if they are at their ideal weight. In fact, the BMI is used to classify a person’s weight status. For all these reasons, today at doncomos.com we explain everything you need to know about how to calculate your BMI simply and with four simple steps, so that you can control your physical well-being from home.
What do you need to calculate the BMI?
- Balance.
- Height meter or tape measure.
- Conventional calculator.
Instructions for calculating BMI
- First of all, you should know that the Body Mass Index is a nutritional indicator that is calculated from the following mathematical formula:
In this case, the mass is expressed in kilograms and the square of the height in square meters. For this reason, the result -BMI- would be presented with the unit of measure kg/m². - In this sense, you should also know that we are talking about a common calculation for both men and women, so the way to calculate it is exactly the same regardless of your gender. Also, keep in mind that this nutritional index can only be applied to adults, that is, people over 18 years of age.
- Once you are clear about these concepts, you can proceed to calculate your BMI. To do this, you must first weigh yourself – use a scale if you have it at home, failing that you can also go to a pharmacy. Keep in mind that it will be very important that your weight and height data are fully up-to-date in order to carry out this calculation accurately and in detail. We recommend that you weigh yourself first thing in the morning, so that your bladder and rectum are empty, that is, we recommend that you do it when you have gone to the bathroom, even to urinate; preferably fasting and underwear. It is also important that you always do it at the same time of day, in order to establish
- Next, you need to measure your height. To do this, you can use a height meter or a tape measure that you have at home or, failing that, as we mentioned above, you can go to a pharmacy – there is usually a machine specialized in weighing, measuring and automatically calculating your BMI. -.
- Once you have exactly calculated your weight and height, you can proceed to make the formula that will reveal your BMI. To do this, you must apply the formula by replacing the mass indicator with your exact weight (the kilograms marked on the scale at the time you weighed yourself) and replacing height with your height squared -that is, multiply your height by it same; for example: if you measure 1.80 meters, you must multiply 1.80 x 1.80 = 3.24 square meters).
- At this point, you will have the formula above in which the mass (kg) should be divided by the lower figure (height squared). With this completed, you can proceed with a conventional calculator to perform this operation: divide the upper number by the lower number. That is: your mass (kg) / your height squared (m2).
- So that you can check if you are at your ideal weight or, on the contrary, you should take measures to achieve a healthy weight, here is the table with the optimal values:
| BMI | Classification |
| <18.5 | underweight |
| 18.5-24.9 | normal weight |
| 25-26.9 | Grade I overweight |
| 27-29.9 | Grade II overweight (preobesity) |
| 30-34.9 | Type I obesity |
| 35-39.9 | Type II obesity |
| 40-49.9 | Type III obesity (morbid) |
| >50 | Type IV obesity (extreme) |
- Once you have checked your BMI, you must decide if it is necessary for you to go to a specialist -dietician or doctor- so that they can advise you about a diet or physical exercises so that you can reach your ideal weight and lead a healthier lifestyle.
Tips for calculating BMI
- Keep in mind that you can also do this process through specialized web pages that automatically calculate your BMI with specific calculators for it. In this way, here we attach a link (www.seedo.es/index.php/imc) so that you can calculate your BMI just by entering your weight and height.
- If your BMI tells you that you are overweight, you can resort to exercise and eating habits with which you can easily reduce your weight. In this case, we recommend that you exercise moderately daily and consume fruits and vegetables. In addition, adding red fruits and foods rich in fiber to your daily diet will also be very useful.
