Body Mass Index (BMI) is a measurement of your body weight based on your height
and weight. Although your BMI does not actually "measure" your percentage of body
fat, it is a useful tool to estimate a healthy body weight based on your height.
Due to its ease of measurement and calculation, it is the most widely used diagnostic
indicator to identify a person's optimal weight depending on his height. Your BMI
"number" will inform you if you are underweight, of normal weight, overweight, or
obese. However, due to the wide variety of body types, the distribution of muscle
and bone mass, etc., it is not appropriate to use this as the only or final indication
for diagnosis. **Athletes: If you have a lot of muscle mass, please be advised that
you will likely have higher limits.
Adapted from: George Bray, Pennington Biomedical Research Center, Clinical Guidelines
on the Identification, Evaulation, and Treatment of Overwight and Obesity in Adults:
The Evidence Report, National Institute of Health, National Heart, Lung and Blood
Institute, September 1998.