Body mass index calculation

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Your body mass index (BMI) estimates how much you should weigh, based on your height. A healthy BMI is between 18.5 and 25. This number represents the relationship between your height and weight. You can estimate your BMI by following the steps below.

Steps	Example:Someone who is 150 pounds and 5 feet 6 inches
1. Convert your weight in pounds to kilograms by dividing by 2.2.	150 lbs. 2.2 = 68.18 kg
2. Convert your height in feet to inches (1 foot = 12 inches).	5 feet 6 inches = 66 in
3. Convert your height to meters: multiply your height in inches by 2.54. Then divide by 100.	66 in. x 2.54 = 167.64 167.64/100 = 1.68 m
4. Multiply your height (in meters) by itself.	1.68 x 1.68 = 2.82
5. Divide your weight in kilograms (step 1) by your height squared (step 4).	68.18/2.82 = 24.18
	BMI = 24.2

Review Date: 4/17/2007
Reviewed By: Patrika Tsai, M.D., M.P.H., Assistant Clinical Professor, Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.

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