BMI stands for body mass index, and is a measure of bodily mass in relation to frame size. There are a number of different equations for this, with Quetelet’s Index, weight (kg)/height (m 2), most ...

His original paper warned against using the body mass index for individual diagnoses, since the equation ignores variables like a patient’s gender or age, which affect how BMI relates to health.

BMI classifications are: <18.5 – underweight; 18.5-24.99 – normal; 25-29.99 – overweight; >30 – obese. The formula to calculate BMI is given in Box 3. Alternatively, a BMI calculator (such as that at) ...