The body mass index (BMI ), or Quetelet index, is a statistical measure of the weight of a person scaled according to height.
BMI provides a reliable indicator of body fatness for most people and is used to screen for weight categories that may lead to health problems. It was invented between 1830 and 1850 by the Belgian polymath Adolphe Quetelet during the course of developing “social physics “.
Healthiest BMIs range
Healthiest BMIs: for men – 23.5 to 25.0
Healthiest BMIs: for women – 22.0 to 23.5.
- You are overweight if you have a BMI above 25.0 and this overweight increases your risk of heart disease, diabetes, and other illnesses.
- BMI nearing 15 is usually used as an indicator for starvation and the health risks involved, with a BMI <17.5 being an informal criterion for the diagnosis of anorexia nervosa.