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Another way to check your weight is to calculate your Body Mass Index or BMI. Your BMI is a ratio or comparison of your height and weight expressed in a number. To find out your BMI you need to divide your weight (measured in kg) by your height (measured in metres) squared.
The accepted definitions of weight categories by BMI are: · Underweight – less than 20 · Healthy weight – between 20 – 25 · Overweight – between 25 – 30 · Obese - greater than 30 These BMI values only apply to adults aged 18 years and over and are based on studies of Caucasian populations. Therefore, they are not applicable to children and adolescents and they may not be appropriate for people of other cultural backgrounds.
The BMI does not take into account ratio of body fat to muscle. Very fit, muscular people may register with a higher BMI but not need to lose weight.
A more reliable system to estimate how overweight you are and which takes into account your muscle mass is amount of body fat as a percentage of total body weight. You can estimate your body fat and obtain a report on your healthy weight at website listed in authro's resource box.
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