An Easy To Use BMI Chart and Calculator - Calculate Your Body Mass Index

What is BMI chart? You may remember your doctor using a chart at the doctor's office when you were growing up where they marked your height and weight on a graph. A BMI chart helps you determine your body weight relative to your height. It provides a numeric measure of a person's "thinness" or "fatness". This helped the doctor determine your overall "health" based on your height and weight.

There has been some controversy over whether these charts are still applicable today, but I think they still offer good general insight into your weight. If you want to get the specifics of you weight you can always use a Body Fat Scale to determine your percentage of body fat a little bit more accurately.

You can use the BMI chart below to determine your Body Mass Index or use our BMI calculator below.

What Does My BMI Mean?

So what exactly does the BMI chart measurement mean? It roughly places your body composition into different categories.

In general terms:

• Under weight 18.5
  
• Healthy 19-25
  
• Overweight 25-30
  
• Obese 30+

Issues with a BMI Chart

• It does not tell you where fat is located

• Does not distinguish between fat mass and muscle mass

Therefore, if you have a lot of muscle mass, your BMI could be calculated in the over-weight range. Use your best judgement. If your BMI is high and you do not have a pot belly or love handles, then you are probably alright. BMI charts are used more for obese individuals where it is tough to determine body composition with body fat calipers.

Body Fat

A better measure is body fat. You can have this checked by a professional, or if you have a pair of calipers you can do it yourself here.

If You Are A Male
• Athlete <10%
• Lean 10-15%
• Normal 15-18%
• Above Average 18-20%
• Over-weight 20-25%
• Obese 25+%

If You Are A female

• Athlete <17%
• Lean 17-22%
• Normal 22-25%
• Above Average 25-29%
• Over-weight 29-35%
• Obese 35+%

Look into our pages on Body Fat Calipers and Body Fat Scales. I personally prefer using a scale rather than calipers. It is a little easier and I do not fully trust my caliper measurements. I would rather a professional do that.