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Are You At A Healthy Weight?

BMI stands for Body Mass Index, and it's a way to estimate whether or not an adult is over or under weight for his or her height. No equipment is necessary. You can figure out your BMI at home with a calculator. You multiply your weight in pounds by the number, 705. Then you divide that number by your height in inches squared. The final number is your Body Mass Index.

A healthy BMI is considered to be anything between 18 and just under twenty-five. If your number is 25 or higher the BMI estimates that you're overweight. Over 30, and the BMI says you're obese. Keep in mind, though, that these standards have met criticism for being too conservative.

Though the BMI can be a good method for estimating whether one is overweight, it is certainly not perfect. The BMI is really just a height-to-weight ratio chart that is based on thousands of observations about the relationship between height and weight.

The most common criticism of the BMI is that it cannot tell the difference between fat and muscle. Because muscle is denser than fat, an athlete's BMI might indicate that he is overweight, but that extra weight may be composed of more muscle than fat. But it's excess fat that typically puts people at health risks.

There is no perfect method for figuring out your body fat, but the BMI gives a good start.

Read More:

Body Mass Index (WebMD)

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