BMI Formula

BMI, Body mass index is a measure of body fat and is commonly used within the

health industry to determine whether your weight is healthy. BMI applies to both

adult men and women and is the calculation of body weight in relation to height. This

article delves into the BMI formula and demonstrates how you can use it to calculate
your own BMI.

The BMI formula uses your weight (in kg or pounds) and your height (in meters or

inches) to form a simple calculation that provides a measure of your body fat. The

formula for BMI was devised in the 1830s by Belgian mathematician Adolphe
Quetelet and is universally expressed in kg/m2.

METRIC

The first formula we've listed is the metric BMI formula, using kilograms and

meters. With the metric system, the formula for BMI is weight in kilograms divided
by height in meters squared. Since height is commonly measured in centimeters, an
alternate calculation formula, dividing the weight in kilograms by the height in
centimeters squared, and then multiplying the result by 10,000, can be used.

Using the BMI formula (metric units)

These simple steps will help you work out your BMI:

IMPERIAL

The second one is the imperial BMI formula, which uses units of pounds and inches.
Simple steps to work out your imperial BMI: Multiply your height in inches (in) by
itself. Divide your weight in pounds (lbs) by your step 1 result. Multiply the result
from step 2 by 703.

Using the imperial BMI formula

Simple steps to work out your imperial BMI:

The Definition of Calorie
A calorie is the amount of heat needed to raise the temperature of one gram of water
by one degree Celsius. Calories in food provide energy in the form of heat so that our
bodies can function. Our bodies store and "burn" calories as fuel. Many dieters count
calories and try to decrease caloric intake to lose weight. is the amount of heat
required to raise the temperature of 1 gram of water by 1 degree Celcius .

You may think that calories are only important to dieters. We often hear that
people eat fewer calories or burn more calories with exercise to lose weight. But
calories are important for everyone.

A calorie isn't actually a thing, it's a unit of measurement. A calorie measures the
amount of energy in the food and beverages that we consume. We all need this energy
to live and stay healthy. Everything we do relies on the energy that comes in the form
of calories.

The food we eat becomes the fuel that runs our bodies. Healthy food provides calories
(energy) and important nutrients to build strong bones and muscles. Drinks also
contain calories. But not all calories are healthy. Sodas, for example, are often
referred to as "empty calories." That means that they provide calories but have no
other nutritional value.

Calories needed by the body account

How Many Calories Do You Need?

Many people seek to lose weight, and often the easiest way to do this is to consume
fewer calories each day. But how many calories does the body actually need in order
to be healthy? This largely depends on the amount of physical activity a person
performs each day, and regardless of this, is different for all people – there are many
different factors involved, not all of which are well-understood or known.
Some factors that influence the number of calories a person needs to remain healthy
include age, weight, height, sex, levels of physical activity, and overall general health.
For example, a physically active 25-year-old male that is 6 feet in height requires
considerably higher calorie intake than a 5-foot-tall, sedentary 70-year-old woman.
Though it differs depending on age and activity level, adult males generally require
2,000-3000 calories per day to maintain weight while adult females need around
1,600-2,400 according to the U.S Department of Health.
The body does not require many calories to simply survive. However, consuming too
few calories results in the body functioning poorly, since it will only use calories for
functions essential to survival, and ignore those necessary for general health and well-
being. Harvard Health Publications suggests women get at least 1,200 calories and
men get at least 1,500 calories a day unless supervised by doctors. As such, it is
highly recommended that a person attempting to lose weight monitors their body's
caloric necessities and adjusts it as necessary to maintain its nutritional needs.
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 Harris Benedict Equation

The Harris Benedict Equation is a formula that uses your BMR and then applies an
activity factor to determine your total daily energy expenditure (calories). The only
factor omitted by the Harris Benedict Equation is lean body mass. Remember, leaner
bodies need more calories than less leaner ones. Therefore, this equation will be very
accurate in all but the very muscular (will under-estimate calorie needs) and the very
fat (will over-estimate calorie needs).
First, determine your BMR using our BMR Calculator or our BMR Formula.

Harris Benedict Formula

 To determine your total daily calorie needs, multiply your BMR by the appropriate activity factor, as
follows:
 If you are sedentary (little or no exercise) : Calorie-Calculation = BMR x 1.2
 If you are lightly active (light exercise/sports 1-3 days/week) : Calorie-Calculation = BMR x 1.375
 If you are moderatetely active (moderate exercise/sports 3-5 days/week) : Calorie-Calculation = BMR x
1.55
 If you are very active (hard exercise/sports 6-7 days a week) : Calorie-Calculation = BMR x 1.725
 If you are extra active (very hard exercise/sports & physical job or 2x training) : Calorie-Calculation =
BMR x 1.9
Total Calorie Needs Example
If you are sedentary, multiply your BMR (1745) by 1.2 = 2094. This is the total
number of calories you need in order to maintain your current weight.
Once you know the number of calories needed to maintain your weight, you can
easily calculate the number of calories you need to eat in order to gain or lose weight:
- Calorie intake to gain weight
- Calorie intake to lose weight
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Global Health Observatory (GHO) data

BMI, formerly called the Quetelet index, is a measure for indicating nutritional status
in adults. It is defined as a person’s weight in kilograms divided by the square of the
person’s height in metres (kg/m2). For example, an adult who weighs 70 kg and
whose height is 1.75 m will have a BMI of 22.9.

70 (kg)/1.752 (m2) = 22.9 BMI

For adults over 20 years old, BMI falls into one of the following categories.

Table 1. Nutritional status

he BMI ranges are based on the effect excessive body fat has on disease and death and
are reasonably well related to adiposity. BMI was developed as a risk indicator of
disease; as BMI increases, so does the risk for some diseases. Some common
conditions related to overweight and obesity include: premature death, cardiovascular
diseases, high blood pressure, osteoarthritis, some cancers and diabetes.

BMI is also recommended for use in children and adolescents. In children, BMI is
calculated as for adults and then compared with z-scores or percentiles. During
childhood and adolescence the ratio between weight and height varies with sex and
age, so the cut-off values that determine the nutritional status of those aged 0–19
years are gender- and age-specific. The cut-off points of the 2006 BMI-for-age
reference for children aged 0–5 years for the diagnosis of overweight and obesity
were set as the 97th and the 99th percentile, respectively. For those aged 5–19 years,
overweight is defined as a BMI-for-age value over +1 SD and obesity as a BMI-for-
age value over +2 SD. http://www.euro.who.int/en/health-topics/disease-
prevention/nutrition/a-healthy-lifestyle/body-mass-index-bmi

The Mifflin St. equation

The result of the Mifflin-St. Jeor equation gives the minimum

amount of energy the body needs to perform basic functions

. Male : 10 x Weight (in kg) + 6.25 x Length (in cm) - 5 x Age + 5

Female : 10 x Weight (in kg) + 6.25 x Length (in cm) - 5 x Age-161

The calories are then calculated by multiplying the result of the previous equations by
the exerted physical effort. Studies show that the Miflin -Saint equation is the most
accurate in calculating daily calories , so this equation is adopted by dietitians around
the world. [9

Mifflin - St Jeor Equation

In 1990, a study by Mifflin MD and St Jeor was published in the American Journal of
Clinical Nutrition. It discussed a new predictive equation for resting energy
expenditure in healthy individuals, suggesting an update to the existing Harris-
Benedict method. The Mifflin - St Jeor equation was said to be more predictive for
modern lifestyles and has established itself as the standard for calculating BMR
estimates. With that said, both equations are still in common use today
.
The Mifflin - St Jeor BMR equation is as follows:

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