Imt fatal energy. Body Mass Index Calculation

The problem of excess weight worries many people nowadays. To be slim means to be beautiful and healthy. Men and women calculate their ideal weight and try with all their might to meet the cherished figure. But how do you know what you are striving for?

Most often, a simple formula is used - men subtract 100 from height in centimeters, and women 110. The resulting number is considered the optimal weight. However, this calculation does not take into account the person’s age, body type and other additional features. Therefore, it is not suitable for everyone. A more accurate result can be found by calculating your body mass index (BMI).

What is BMI

BMI is a value that shows how correct the ratio of a person’s height and weight is. Using a special formula, it is calculated whether the subject suffers from obesity or dystrophy. This method is often used by doctors in the treatment of diseases associated with overweight or underweight.

The idea of ​​​​calculating BMI belongs to a Belgian scientist who lived in the 19th century, named Quetelet. Subsequently, many nutritionists and anthropologists made all sorts of adjustments to the table. On this moment There are formulas by which you can find out BMI not only according to Quetelet, but also according to Brock, Humvee, Kreff and Devin. They received such names from the names of the scientists who calculated the indicators.

The formula for calculating BMI according to Broca was derived at the end of the 19th century by a doctor from France. It is ideal for the average person with a height of 155 cm to 2 m. Professor Kreff added to Brock's method. In calculations using his method, body type is taken into account.

By a certain formula you can find out whether a person suffers from so-called central obesity. To do this, the waist size is divided by the hip size. A number above 0.9 indicates that the person being tested has problems. An overhanging belly poses a health threat. They say that extra centimeters at the waist will deprive you of several years of life.

It should be noted that the normal indicators in different time were different. IN last years The ideal BMI has become significantly lower than before, and therefore the number of people suffering from overweight and obesity has statistically increased.

What does BMI depend on?

Sometimes calculating BMI does not give entirely correct results. The fact is that it is important to remember that the ratio of fat and muscle tissue varies from person to person and depends on many factors. Therefore, people with the same BMI do not look the same.

In order to accurately calculate BMI, not only height, but also a person’s age, gender, and body type are taken into account, which is determined by measuring the wrist.

There are thin-boned, normal-boned and broad-boned types. BMI of thin people with narrow shoulders and chest should be less than the indicators of hypersthenics with large forms. Sometimes the width of the chest is measured to determine body type.

Due to differences in the ratio of muscle to fat tissue, normal BMI varies men and women. It is also impossible not to take into account age test subject. The ideal weight of a young girl or guy will differ from body weight mature man. No wonder. With age, the fat layer, which weighs less than muscle tissue, increases. So old man may get an ideal figure as a result of calculations, and at the same time have problems with excess weight. Therefore, people over 50 are advised to monitor their waist-to-hip ratio to prevent central obesity.

A special formula and table are used to calculate the normal body mass index of children. In addition, we should not forget that the ideal weight of girls and boys also cannot be identical. Children under 2 years of age and after reaching this age will have different indicators.

The ideal weight of athletes is calculated in a special way. They devote a lot of time to training, and therefore have developed muscles. Their ideal BMI will be significantly higher than the average person.

Why do you need to know your BMI?

BMI is useful to know for those who monitor their figure and health. Doctors also use this indicator to determine doses. medicines. In everyday life it is used to control body weight.

It is much easier to keep track of your figure knowing what to strive for. And sometimes it happens that people invent problems for themselves. Young girls, for example, exhaust themselves with diets at an absolutely normal weight, which leads to anorexia.

Calculating your body mass index can help determine if a person has problems and how severe they are. Based on the obtained indicators, nutritionists recommend a certain diet and exercise for an obese patient.

How to calculate BMI

It is quite difficult to calculate body mass index on your own, taking into account all the nuances. We can help our users cope with this task. For people concerned about their weight, an online body mass index calculator has been developed. All that is required is to enter your data into the form and within a couple of seconds the result will appear on the screen. As a rule, it is enough to know your exact weight. For a more reliable result, you should indicate the volume of the hips and wrists.

Choose which formula to use to calculate, and then compare the resulting number with the data in the table. Based on the result, you can judge whether the test person’s weight is normal. BMI also indicates whether a person is underweight or morbidly overweight. Obesity has several degrees. This is also taken into account in the calculations.

We offer a convenient online BMI calculator. Despite its simplicity, it is quite accurate. You can calculate body mass index taking into account age using different formulas or derive an average that will be as close as possible to the correct one.

BMI is an approximate indicator

Even using the most accurate formula, it is impossible to calculate your ideal weight. Each person is individual. Therefore, do not be upset if your indicators are outside the norm.

The mistake of many, and this is especially true for representatives of the fair half of humanity, is the desire to be like models from glossy magazines. The slightest deviation from the norm can cause panic.

Of course, if the calculations indicate painful completeness, it is worth thinking about and trying to achieve better results. Obesity does not have a beneficial effect on a person’s overall well-being and health. Excess weight leads to hypertension, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes and joint diseases. Therefore, you should take action and get rid of those extra pounds.

On the other hand, it happens that the BMI is within the normal range, but the body looks flabby and not at all young. In this case, you should not be proud of the test results and not care about your figure. You should pay attention to sports or at least increase physical exercise to get your body in order. But such people do not need a diet at all.

In any case, you shouldn’t get hung up on dry numbers. The main thing is general well-being.

Even if the test results showed a bad result, you should listen to yourself. When a person is satisfied with his reflection in the mirror, but doctors do not see extra pounds threats to health, it is better to forget about formulas and calculations and enjoy life at a normal pace.

(BMI, in English BMI) shows how much weight in kilograms is per 1 meter of body area. This BMI calculation was developed by Adolphe Quetelet more than 150 years ago, and, oddly enough, this formula is still used today.

What does the definition of BMI give us? Calculation of the coefficient will show the ratio of a person’s height to his weight, as a result of which it can be determined whether body weight is normal, insufficient or excessive. The height to weight ratio should be normal, otherwise the deviation may affect your health.

How to find out BMI?

Body mass index is calculated based only on height and weight. Of course, one formula cannot be applied to everyone. It is also necessary to take into account the gender, age of the person, and his lifestyle. Depending on these criteria, people have different fat to muscle ratios. When determining your BMI, you need to take into account all your indicators (if you have an athletic build, a high indicator may be normal for you).

There are several formulas by which this index can be determined. Previously, Broca's formula was used: BMI = height (in centimeters) - 100. Today it is believed that this formula is suitable for women 40-50 years old, for girls 20-30 years old the index should be 10% less, and for ladies over 50 it is allowed an indicator that is 5-7% more. In addition, the BMI formula now takes into account an adjustment for body type.

How to calculate BMI using a BMI calculator?

It is optimal to use Quetelet's formula to determine the index. To do this, take a calculator. Enter your weight in kilograms and divide by your height twice (height must first be converted to meters). The number you receive is your body mass index. That is, the BMI formula is: weight divided by height squared.

For example, let's calculate the BMI for a woman with a height of 165 cm and a weight of 56 kg. Let's immediately convert the height into meters, we get 1.65 m. Let's determine the body mass index:

56/(1,65*1,65)= 56/ 2,7225=20,57.

In this example, for this woman, the obtained BMI indicator is at the normal level.

Index table

A special BMI table will help you determine what level your indicator is at. It is easy to use, you just need to first determine your body mass index.

It is not correct to rely only on this table when determining body weight; the norms are different for men and women; you also need to calculate BMI taking into account age; for children and adolescents the indicators are different.

BMI calculation for men

Usually men are less concerned about the index number, but when it comes time to join the army, everyone immediately needs to calculate it. After all, this indicator can be decisive and serve as a temporary reprieve. This is where men begin to think about what their BMI is. The calculation is carried out in the same way; below are the norms for men:

• less than 18 - underweight;
• 18.5-23.8 is normal;
• 23.9-28.5 - overweight;
• 29 and above - obesity.

In Israel, the norm is slightly higher, this was found out after research. It was observed that men with an index of 25-27 had better health. These numbers are not the norm in every case. For example, a man who practices boxing or strength training will weigh much more than normal, but this does not mean that he is overweight.

BMI calculation for women

For women, things are completely different. Every girl always thinks about her weight and how close she is to her ideal body mass index. Quetelet’s formula will also help here. If your index is:

• less than 19 - underweight;
• 20-25 is normal;
• 26-30 - overweight;
• 31 and above - you are obese.

If you want to determine your body mass index in order to decide how many kilograms you should lose, it is better to consult a nutritionist with this question. When calculating BMI, he will carry out the calculation based not only on the Quetelet formula, but also using additional formulas. He will determine the exact index taking into account the characteristics of your body, as well as your lifestyle. It is not recommended to calculate BMI during pregnancy as the data will be false.

The index norms for men and women differ for several reasons. Firstly, men have more muscles, and secondly, their physique is thinner (due to physiological characteristics).

BMI calculation for children

Determining body mass index for children is more difficult; the child is still growing and changing. But our formula will help you here too. Calculations are carried out in the same way. To make this process easier and not have to carry out calculations every time, centile tables will help you. These tables are easy to understand. To determine BMI, you will need the child's height, weight, and age. The first and last columns in the table show the minimum and maximum indices, and the middle columns contain normal indicators for a given age. To create these tables, a large-scale collection of information was carried out, in which about 1000 children were involved. The BMI centile chart for children is presented below.

If your child's weight falls in the first or last columns, it means he or she is underweight or obese, respectively. In this case, in urgently it is necessary to take measures, but if the child’s body weight falls into the middle columns, then everything is in order (these BMI indicators are the norm for the specified age).

Calculating a teenager's BMI

For teenagers, everything is also ambiguous; it is difficult to determine the index, and the norm for girls and boys aged 12-16 years differs. Girls mature earlier, so the index should be higher. In order to determine a teenager’s BMI, it is also necessary to use a centile table.

What can BMI tell you about your body?

Body mass index is a general statistic, but it can serve as a starting point for achieving perfect figure. Even if the resulting BMI is normal according to the criteria, this does not mean that your body is in excellent condition. Of course, you don’t need to lose weight in this case, but you probably need a fitness program to tone up your body. If your index is slightly higher than normal, you don’t need to exhaust yourself with a diet; proper diet and fitness will get you back in shape.

If your BMI is far from normal and close to obesity, you should seriously think about the problem and pull yourself together, because it’s not just about external beauty. Being overweight puts your health at risk.

Let us recall once again what body mass index is. This is a coefficient showing how many kilograms are per 1 meter of body. There is a simple formula to determine BMI, but if you don’t have time to calculate or don’t have a calculator at hand, you can always use an online calculator. It should be remembered that the index norm is determined differently for everyone; men and women have their own data. To determine the norm in children and adolescents, you should use the centile table for the appropriate age.

If you have determined the norm, and it turns out to be higher than expected, this does not always indicate excess weight. To obtain the correct BMI, the calculation should be carried out not only on the basis of height and weight, you should also take into account the characteristics of your body. If you are an athlete and have large muscle mass, your norm should be higher than for ordinary men and women. If your index is higher than normal, this is not always bad, the main thing is that you are comfortable and like the condition of your own body.

Everyone needs it to modern man know how to calculate body weight and draw correct conclusions about the state of the indices that show whether you have obesity or a predisposition to this disease. We offer you basic methods on how to calculate your body weight using simple formulas and tables.

Human body weight and its excess

A person’s body weight is the most important indicator of our health, determining whether nutrition meets the body’s needs. A distinction is made between normal, overweight and underweight.

Naturally, obesity necessarily presupposes the presence of excess body weight formed due to the accumulation of fat.

However, the concept of excess body weight is not synonymous with obesity and has an independent meaning. Thus, many people have a slight excess of body weight that does not reach the level of illness, that is, obesity. In addition, excess body weight is caused by developed muscles (in athletes or people engaged in heavy physical labor) or fluid retention in the body due to a number of diseases.

In the same way, lack of body weight does not always reach the level of protein-energy malnutrition. Many methods have been developed to control body weight. They are usually aimed at comparing height and body weight and comparing the result with standard indicators calculated on the basis of various formulas or given in special tables. Previously, in domestic medicine, body weight that exceeded the norm for a given adult by 5-14% was called excess, and that exceeded the norm by 15% or more indicated obesity as a disease. At the same time, in foreign medical practice obesity was considered excess body weight that reached 20% or more compared with the norms adopted in tables or obtained using calculation formulas. As a result, obesity rates in our country were higher than in other countries.

Broca's formula

Broca's formula, proposed over a century ago by the French surgeon and anatomist Paul Broca, is still famous. According to this formula, the following normal indicators are obtained.

Normal body weight

For men of average build:

• with a height of up to 165 cm, the norm of body weight in kilograms is equal to the height in centimeters minus 100;
• with a height of 166-175 cm - minus 105;
• with a height of 175 cm or more - minus 110.

Fatness or obesity: methods for assessing body weight

Women of the appropriate height and build should have a body weight that is approximately 5% less than men.

A simplified version of the calculation is also proposed:

• for women under the age of 35, normal body weight should be equal to height in centimeters minus 110;
• over 35 years old - height in centimeters minus 100.

In people with a narrow chest (asthenic physique), the obtained data decreases by 5%, and in people with a wide chest (hypersthenic physique) it increases by 5%.

I note that the formula “height in centimeters minus 100,” popular due to its simplicity, and used for people of any height, distorts Broca’s index.

How to determine BMI: calculating body mass index

Currently, a very informative indicator is used in international practice - the calculation of body mass index (BMI), also called the Quetelet index. In 1997 and 2000 WHO recommended assessing body weight based on BMI, which Russian doctors agreed with. However, in the report “Prevention, diagnosis and treatment of primary arterial hypertension in Russian Federation"(2000) experts from the Scientific Society for the Study of Arterial Hypertension, the All-Russian Scientific Society of Cardiologists and the Interdepartmental Council on Cardiovascular Diseases made an amendment: as the lower limit of BMI, characterizing normal weight body, it is proposed to consider 20 kg/m 2 instead of the WHO recommended indicator of 18.5 kg/m 2 shown in the table. The reason for this proposal is simple: a number of studies have found that among people with low BMI values ​​(less than 19-20 kg/m2), there is a higher mortality rate not only from cancer or chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases, but also from cardiovascular diseases.

Before determining BMI, existing body weight in kilograms is divided by height in meters squared:

BMI = body weight (in kilograms) / (height in 2 meters).

Body Mass Index Score Chart

The body mass index table allows you to assess your health status and anticipate possible risks of developing chronic diseases. It provides characteristics of body mass index (BMI) indicators. We caution you that body mass index assessment should be carried out by a qualified physician, taking into account your individual characteristics.

I will demonstrate the application of the formula on specific example. Let's assume your height is 165 cm and your weight is 67 kilograms.

1. Convert height from centimeters to meters - 1.65 m.
2. Square 1.65 m and it becomes 2.72.
3. Now divide 67 (weight) by 2.72. Your result is 25.7 kg/m2, which corresponds to upper limit norms.

You don’t have to calculate BMI individually, but use a special table developed by D. G. Bessenen in 2001.

Please note that it has a number of disadvantages: there are no BMI indicators below 19 kg/m2, and BMI characterizing different degrees of obesity are given in abbreviated form in the table.

Table - Body mass indices according to height and body weight:

Waist hip index

In recent years, it has been found that the risk of developing a number of diseases depends not only on the degree and duration of obesity, but also on the nature of the distribution of fat in the body.

Depending on the location of fat deposits, there are:

• abdominal obesity (also called visceral, android, “upper”, “apple” type, male type) - excess fat is located mainly in the abdomen and upper torso. This type of obesity is more common among men;
• gluteofemoral obesity (also called gluteofemoral, gynoid, “lower”, “pear” type, etc.) female type) - excess fat is located mainly on the hips, buttocks and lower torso, which is typical for women.

With abdominal obesity, even minimal excess body weight increases the risk of cardiovascular disease and death from it. Increases the likelihood coronary disease, as well as its three main risk factors: arterial hypertension, diabetes mellitus Type 2 and lipid metabolism disorders (increased cholesterol in the blood and other indicators). The combination of these diseases and conditions is called metabolic syndrome. Its treatment, including with the help of diet therapy, is a task of paramount importance. Moreover, treatment is indicated not only for diagnosed abdominal obesity, but also for significant excess body weight (BMI - 27-29.9 kg/m2), if fat is deposited mainly in the upper part of the body.

Waist hip index- this is the ratio of the waist circumference (measured above the navel) to the largest circumference of the hips (measured at the level of the buttocks).

In contrast, gluteofemoral obesity is not associated with significant additional risk and poses minimal medical consequences. Its treatment is mainly cosmetic. I note that we're talking about about obesity without concomitant diseases, especially without type 2 diabetes mellitus and arterial hypertension.

To determine the type of obesity, it is necessary to determine the waist/hip index (WHI).

It is permissible to measure only waist circumference. It is recognized that the risk of developing metabolic syndrome:

• increases moderately with a waist circumference of 80 cm or more in women, 90 cm or more in men;
• increases sharply with a waist circumference of 88 cm or more in women, 102 cm or more in men.

Modern data require new approaches to assessing body weight. In particular, it turned out that underweight is a risk factor for increased mortality from certain non-communicable diseases. The idea of ​​adipose tissue as metabolically inert and exclusively an energy depot has also changed. It has now been established that adipose tissue is a diffuse endocrine gland that produces a number of hormones and biologically active substances

Table - Biologically active substances secreted by adipose tissue:

Leptin and obesity

It is worth mentioning leptin, a hormone produced by fat cells, discovered in 1995. Its level in the blood reflects the energy reserves of adipose tissue, affects appetite, energy consumption and expenditure, and changes the metabolism of fats and glucose. Leptin and obesity are closely related: this substance slows down metabolism, but if there is a deficiency, it can cause a malfunction in the body.

According to the scientific data obtained, only excess body weight that has not reached the level of obesity plays a positive role in the normal functioning of the body.

Lack of fat reserves and leptin deficiency can impair reproductive function in women with sharply reduced body weight, for example, after fasting or with anorexia nervosa, which is often accompanied by amenorrhea. Don't think that science is trying to rehabilitate obesity.

Thus, women with preserved menstrual function and excess body weight have a lower likelihood of developing breast cancer, bone resorption (destruction of bone tissue) and postmenopausal osteoporosis. The negative impact of excess body weight (without obesity) on lipid and carbohydrate metabolism, as well as on the level of blood pressure in practically healthy men and women. Foreign studies conducted by insurance companies found the lowest mortality rate among people whose body weight exceeded the norm by 10%.

Specialists from the Research Center for Preventive Medicine of the Russian Ministry of Health, who observed men and women aged 40-59 years for 20 years, discovered a dependence of life expectancy on BMI. Thus, 50% of the “thin” and “overweight” subjects died earlier than those who had an average BMI of 20 to 30 kg/m2. At the same time, “thin” men and women died earlier than “overweight” ones. Why this happens and whether people with low body weight have other risk factors is not yet known.

Even more on the topic

Ideal weight is an average standard, which is calculated based on data on large quantities of people. But all people are different. Lifestyle, food culture, nationality and body type - all this influences ideal weight. For example, the normal weight of people with a strong physique will be 2-3% higher than that of people with an average build. And the norm for thin people is 3-5% less. Therefore, it is not necessary to strive specifically for the ideal weight, which shows weight calculator. It is quite enough if your weight falls within the calculated range.

Besides weight calculator calculates BMI- body mass index (ideal weight), which is widely used to determine the degree of correspondence between body weight and height.

How to calculate your ideal weight (BMI) yourself

BMI = M: P 2, where

M – body weight in kg

P – height in meters

Example of calculating body mass index: M (weight) – 78 kg, P (height) – 1.68 m

BMI = 78: 1.68 2 = 27.6

From the table below you can see that a BMI of -27.6 corresponds to overweight.

Interpretation table for BMI indicators

In case of a strong deviation from the norm, it is time to seriously think about correcting your weight. With reduced weight, dystrophy develops. In the modern civilized world, its cause is usually deliberate malnutrition. The desire to have an unnaturally slim figure can result in a violation of both the psyche and physical health- ability to work decreases, skin dries, hair falls out. All this comes from a lack of substances necessary for the body.

However, their excessive excess also does not lead to anything good. A huge number of people suffer from obesity. Excess weight greatly increases the risk of kidney and gallstones, joint deformation, impotence, myocardial infarction and many other diseases. The entire body works under overload, moving masses of fat in space that are not provided for by the design of the human body. It is not surprising that the life expectancy of obese people is on average 6-8 years less than that of others.