• Skip to content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Home
  • Shop ModernMom
  • Become An Insider

ModernMom

The premiere destination for moms

  • Parenting
    • Pregnancy
    • Baby
    • Kids
    • Tweens and Teens
    • ModernMom Monday Videos
  • Cooking
  • Living Healthy
    • Breast Cancer
    • Health & Fitness
    • Body after Baby
    • Beauty
    • Relationships
    • Love
  • Lifestyle
    • Crafts
    • At Home
    • Education
    • Travel
    • Pets
    • Decorate
    • Money
    • Brooke Burke
  • Celebrate
    • Holidays
      • Easter
      • Valentine’s Day
      • New Year’s
      • Christmas
      • Hanukah
      • Halloween
      • Thanksgiving
    • Birthdays
    • Parties
  • Must Have
  • Contests
  • Entertainment

How to Calculate Body Mass Index for Women

October 11, 2009 by ModernMom Staff Leave a Comment

Body Mass Index, or BMI, is a calculation obtained by a person’s height and weight. While your doctor or fitness trainer may have a handy calculator to feed the numbers into for instant results, it may be helpful at home to learn to do this fairly straightforward equation. Tracking your BMI is an excellent tool to use in estimating your body fat and setting goals in your weight loss program.

Step 1

Measure your height in inches and weight in pounds without shoes or heavy clothing. For this example, we’ll calculate Body Mass Index using pounds and inches for a woman who is 5 feet 2 inches and weighs 125 lbs. Both systems use the same formula: Divide weight by height squared and multiply by 703.

Step 2

Overweight

Calculate the square of your height in inches by multiplying the number by itself: 5 feet 2 inches equals 63 inches; 63 times 63 equals 3,969.

Step 3

Divide your weight by the squared height: 125 divided by 3,969 equals .03149.

Step 4

Multiply the resulting number by the conversion factor of 703: .03149 times 703 equals 22.14. This is your BMI.

Step 5

Determine your Body Mass Index status by using the following figures. Below 18.5 is considered underweight. A BMI between 18.5 and 24.9 is considered to be in the normal range. A BMI of 25.0 to 29.9 is considered to be in the overweight range, and 30.0 and above is considered obese.

Warnings

  • Remember that your BMI is only one aspect of your overall health. Your waist measurement and physical inactivity are other important factors to consider.

Comments

comments

Filed Under: Health/Fitness

About ModernMom Staff

Reader Interactions

Primary Sidebar

Search

Tell a friend

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
ModernMom Boutique

ModernMom TV

Featured

Six Reasons to Have Six Kids

When people hear that I have six kids, the reaction is … [Read More...] about Six Reasons to Have Six Kids

Must Have

STEM-related Toys to Include in Your Child’s Easter Basket This Year 

April has arrived which means it’s time to pull out the food … [Read More...] about STEM-related Toys to Include in Your Child’s Easter Basket This Year 

Did you know?

Mild Cramping During Early Stages of Pregnancy

Does Pregnancy Cause Flu-Like Symptoms?

Does Pregnancy Cause Flu-Like Symptoms?

Child Too Big for a Toddler Bed

When Is a Child Too Big for a Toddler Bed?

Cures & Remedies for Head Lice

Cures & Remedies for Head Lice

Cover a Pork Roast

Should You Cover a Pork Roast & Add Liquid When Baking?

Decoding a Man’s Hug

Decoding a Man’s Hug

How to Take Wrinkles Out of Polyester With Steam

Footer

  • About Us
  • Contact ModernMom
  • Advertise With Us
  • Press
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Contributors

Copyright © 2022 Modern Mom. All Rights Reserved.

Reproduction of any portion of this website only at the express permission of Mom, Inc.

The information provided on ModernMom is for educational use only. It should not be used as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.