BMI is the common acronym given to Body Mass Index, a number calculated from your weight and height that roughly correlates to the percentage of your total weight that comes from fat, as opposed to muscle, bone or organ. The higher a person's BMI, the higher the percentage of fat in their body. If your BMI is under 20, you might be underweight. Between 20 and 25, you are probably at a good healthy weight for your height. A BMI over 25 is considered overweight, and over 35 is considered obese.
There are a number of factors that might influence whether or not your BMT is a true reflection of your total body fat.
For instance, muscle is denser than fat and takes up less space. Therefore a heavily muscled person might weigh more than a same sized over-weight person, or two individuals with identical BMI might have widely different percent body fat.
BMI, for all its approximation, is a good tool to use in determining whether you need to lose weight, gain weight, or congratulate yourself for being just right.
There are a number of factors that might influence whether or not your BMT is a true reflection of your total body fat.
For instance, muscle is denser than fat and takes up less space. Therefore a heavily muscled person might weigh more than a same sized over-weight person, or two individuals with identical BMI might have widely different percent body fat.
BMI, for all its approximation, is a good tool to use in determining whether you need to lose weight, gain weight, or congratulate yourself for being just right.
