BMI, or Body Mass Index, seems to pop up everywhere when talking about weight and health. But what does it really mean? It’s basically a way to compare your weight to your height and see if they ‘match up’ in a healthy range. The idea is to give you a quick snapshot of where you stand health-wise in terms of weight, but like any snapshot, it doesn’t tell the whole story.
Getting your BMI number is pretty straightforward. Grab a calculator or phone, and you’ll just need your weight in kilograms divided by your height in meters squared. So, for those of us using pounds and inches, there are tons of calculators online that’ll do the conversion dance for you.
When you see your BMI number, it’s not always about what feels ‘normal’. BMI categories can be a little different depending on how old you are. For kids and teens, the healthy ranges shift as they grow. Adults have their own range, typically 18.5 to 24.9 is considered normal. Seniors might have slightly different ranges, since muscle mass and body composition change with age.
You’ve got a BMI of 27, and you’re wondering why you don’t feel ‘overweight’. This is where BMI can be a bit of a misleader. Ever seen a super fit athlete with a ‘high’ BMI? That’s muscle mass at play. Muscles weigh more than fat, so someone might be super fit and fabulous with a BMI suggesting otherwise.
Remember, while BMI is a handy tool, it’s not the only thing that matters. Keep moving, eat well, check in on other health markers, and talk to a healthcare pro about your health beyond the numbers basically. After all, health is about way more than how you stack up on a chart.
