




Body mass index (or BMI) is a calculation that is supposed to more accurately reflect total body fat than the old height/weight tables. Since muscle mass is heavier than fat mass, very muscular people can be heavier than what the older height/weight tables had listed as ideal body weight, yet they have very little fat mass.
BMI is a calculation, and the equation is as follows:
BMI= weight in Kg / height in meters squared
Overweight = BMI of 26-29
Obesity = 30 or more
The table provided in the pdf document below is a quick guide to figuring out your BMI.
Also remember that this is only a guide, and is not definitive for everyone, but relatively accurate the further off the norm one goes.
If you do not have a copy of Adobe Acrobat Reader, you may obtain a free copy here.