What is Body Mass Index?

The Body Mass Index (BMI) is the scientific calculation used to determine if someone is carrying too much body fat based on their weight and height.

Rather than focussing on weight alone (as this is often not a true indication of the health of someone), BMI considers a number of factors to give a more realistic overview. 

Body Mass Index (BMI) calculations are is a simple way of determining whether a person's weight sits in a healthy or an unhealthy range. The BMI gives an indication of where that person is on the range, as seen in the Guidelines below...

Guidelines

Guidelines devised by the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) indicate the following:

Underweight: less than 18.5.

Normal weight: 18.5-25.

Overweight: 25-29.

Obese: more than 30.

How to calculate BMI

BMI = kg/m² where kg is a person’s weight in kilograms and m² is their height in metres squared.

BMI can be calculated manually using the following formula (or simply use the tool below):

[Weight (kg)] ÷ [height (m) x height (m)]

How is Body Mass Index a useful tool?

BMI is the World Health Organisations classification to measure someone’s potential health outcomes in relation to their weight. It is also used by Dr Silverman to help define the most effective solution to weight loss treatments for obese patients. 

A BMI of over 25 indicates that the patient may be susceptible to medical problems caused by their weight. Anyone with a BMI of 30 or more is classified as obese and is a candidate for surgical weight loss treatments performed by Dr Silverman as part of the Peak Program.

It is a good idea to see your doctor if you have a BMI of over 25, to look at options for reducing your weight and reducing your risk of developing any of these conditions.

Dr Silverman is happy to offer obligation-free consultations to anyone concerned that they may be overweight or obese, where she is able to outline the various surgical approaches to weight loss.