This basic weight calculator determines how much you should weigh, either in metric or English measurements based on BMI that is your height, weight and sex used in the body mass index formula. You can find more details on the topic of weight and mass formulas in the text below the weight calculation.
How does the basic weight calculator work?
This is a simple body mass evaluation tool that can quickly provide you with an indicator to where your weight stands and whether you can be classed as underweight, normal weight or in one of the three stages of obesity.
In order to come right in hand and not require any other applications, the calculator offers you the two main systems of measurement, metric and English and converts your values in the appropriate formula. It is designed to assess your body condition based on three parameters. You are asked to input your weight, either in kg or in pounds and your height, either in meters or feet and inches and your gender. These are then put in the basic BMI formula that it discussed below to offer you a numeric result that will then place you in a certain body mass range.
Body Mass Index
In order to understand what the body mass index refers to, we need to learn that the body mass is the scientific way to describe the weight in medical specialties. This biological index takes account of both the weigh and height, the vertical length of the body, and then adjusts them in accordance to the sex of the tested subject. This is an indicator of the thinness or thickness of one’s body and has sparked a lot of controversy throughout the years since Adolphe Quelet first introduced it. It is used to classify underweight or overweight mainly in adults as children have adapted formulas.
How to calculate BMI?
As the body mass index calculates the mass per unit of surface area of the subject’s body it means that it is obtained through dividing the weight in kilograms by the square of the height in meters. The conversions for the imperial measurement system are: 1 pound= 0.4535 kg, 1 inch= 0.0254 m.
BMI= mass (kg)/height (m)^2
BMI Chart
The values obtained through the formula itself or the above weight tool can be found in the ranges of the BMI table based on the International Classification of WHO 2004.
| Classification | BMI (kg/m^2) |
| Severe Underweight | <16.00 |
| Moderate Underweight | 16.00- 16.99 |
| Mild Underweight | 17.00- 18.49 |
| Underweight | <18.50 |
| Normal range | 18.50- 24.99 |
| Overweight | 25.00- 29.99 |
| Obese I | 30.00- 34.99 |
| Obese II | 35.00- 39.99 |
| Obese III | >40.00 |
Example BMI calculation
Let’s take for instance the case of a female weighing 60 kg at a height of 1.70 m.
BMI= 60/ 1.70^2
BMI= 20.8
A value of 20.8 is situated in the normal BMI range.
Interpreting the results
If it were to put these values to test we would receive not only the index value and the range but also a message in relation to that range and the ideal weight for a person of that height. For the above example, at a height of 1.70 m the ideal weight is situated between 54 and 71 kg.
For other results the basic weight calculator will determine whether the result is in the underweight or overweight range and it will advise of the measures to be taken as well as indicated the healthy weight range for the input height.
Why is BMI useful? Health risks
This weight index is used not only to assess the body mass condition but is also useful in dosing certain amounts of medicines to be taken. It is a number that can quickly reflect whether one is in a healthy weight range or not. In research BMI is used to analyze the risk of developing certain health conditions, especially those related with obesity such as type 2diabetes and coronary disease.
Index contradictions and criticism
There have been critics in time that referred to this original formula as not accurate as it doesn’t take into account the age for adults. There are separate tables for children but all adults are considered the same. There are also inaccuracies resulting from the fact that this index reflects the body mass versus surface and in the case of athletes, very muscular persons and even pregnant women, this cannot be accurate. The obtained number can prompt one person into starting a weight loss diet as well as other restrains that might not reflect the general health condition of the body. Another factor to take into account would be that of different populations and different body proportions.
References
1) Walpole, Sarah C; Prieto-Merino, David; Edwards, Phil; Cleland, John; Stevens, Gretchen; Roberts, Ian et al. (2012) The weight of nations: an estimation of adult human biomass. BMC Public Health (BMC Public Health, 12:439
2) Keys A, Fidanza F, Karvonen MJ, Kimura N, Taylor HL. (1972) Indices of relative weight and obesity. Journal of Chronic Diseases 25 (6–7): 329–43.
10 Dec, 2014