Body Mass Index (BMI)

The Body Mass Index is a simple formula which divides your Body Weight in kilograms by your height in metres squared, and is used mainly by physicians to determine obesity. The result is then compared to a scale with 18.5 or less being underweight, all the way up to 40 which is considered very obese.

The test is not so applicable to athletes, or those with greater than average muscle mass, as it only takes into account height and weight. For example, according to the BMI test, Arnie ‘The Governator’ Shwarzenegger when competing in bodybuilding competitions, despite having less body fat than a whippet on hunger strike would be considered obese.