There is always a societal pressure of being fit and having a lean body. But it is not the only reason why you should consider maintaining a healthy weight. A healthy weight can lead to lesser joint and muscle pains, improved energy, maintained blood pressure, better regulation of bodily fluids, improved heart and circulatory system and even sleep pattern. To maintain a healthy weight, it is vital to keep a regular check on your health status. How to do so?

BMI calculator is a great solution to know your health status. Body Mass Index (BMI) is an indicator of the amount of body fats. Health professionals and doctors generally use BMI as a screening tool to find a healthy weight status in adults. There is a simple formula to find the BMI of a person which is:

BMI = Weight in kilograms divided by Height in metres squared

But to save time and energy and get a quick result, you can use a BMI calculator available online for free. All you need to do there is fill your details like current height and weight measurements, and it will instantly tell you your BMI measurement. The BMI calculation method slightly differs for children as the child’s age and gender also need to be taken into consideration.

A human body consists of water, fats, carbohydrates, proteins, minerals, and several vitamins. If the fats in the body increase, then the excess fats get stored. These excess fats, especially around the waist, is a matter of concern as it indicates the beginning of many major diseases like high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and diabetes. BMI works as an indicator to show your total body fats. A BMI between 18.5 to 25 kg/m² is considered to be a healthy weight, whereas BMI less than 18.5 kg/m² is considered as underweight. A BMI measurement between 25 kg/m² and 29.9 kg/m² is considered overweight, and a BMI above 30 kg/m² is considered obese. It is easy to know BMI in adults as you can type your height and weight measurements and know your BMI instantly with an online BMI calculator.

How accurate is a BMI calculator to calculate health risks?

BMI considers general variations in body shape and gives a healthy weight range for particular height measurement. This is not enough to know accurate healthy weight status as there are various reasons due to which a body may show an increase in BMI other than excess fats in the body. A lot of healthcare professionals take into account other factors along with BMI measurement, to know a person’s exact healthy weight status. It is a known fact that muscles weigh more than fats. Thus, people with an athletic background or weight trainers may show higher BMI range but are healthier than a person showing lesser or similar BMI. Also, pregnant women must not refer to BMI measurement, and they need to put on weight during pregnancy for better health of the child. It also differs in different demographics as Asians are at higher health risks even when the BMI calculator shows measurement below 25 kg/m².