|
Understanding Your Body Mass
Index
Body mass index (BMI) is a statistical measure of the
weight of a person scaled according to height.
| The
International Classification of adult underweight,
overweight and obesity according to BMI |
| Classification |
BMI(kg/m2)
|
|
Principal cut-off points
|
Additional cut-off points
|
| Underweight |
<18.50
|
<18.50
|
 Severe
thinness |
<16.00
|
<16.00
|
| Moderate
thinness |
16.00-16.99
|
16.00-16.99
|
| Mild
thinness |
17.00-18.49
|
17.00-18.49
|
| Normal
range |
18.50-24.99
|
18.50-22.99
|
|
23.00-24.99
|
| Overweight |
 25.00 |
25.00
|
| Pre-obese |
25.00-29.99
|
25.00-27.49
|
|
27.50-29.99
|
| Obese |
30.00
|
30.00
|
| Obese
class I |
30.00-34.99
|
30.00-32.49
|
|
32.50-34.99
|
| Obese
class II |
35.00-39.99
|
35.00-37.49
|
|
37.50-39.99
|
| Obese
class III |
40.00 |
40.00 |
| Source: Adapted
from WHO, 1995, WHO, 2000 and WHO 2004 |
BMI values are age-independent and the same for both
sexes. However, BMI may not correspond to the same degree
of fatness in different populations due, in part, to
different proportions. The health risks associated with
increasing BMI are continuous and the interpretation
of BMI gradings in relation to risk may differ for different
populations.
Source: 2006 World Health Organization
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