Definition: Body mass index (BMI), or Quetelet index, is a statistical measure of body weight based on a person's weight and height. Though it does not actually measure the percentage of body fat, it is used to estimate a healthy body weight based on a person's height.
The equation for BMI = body weight in kilograms/height in meters squared.
Research has identified the health risks associated with a wide range of BMIs (both high and low values).
Normal: 18.5 - 24.9
Overweight: 25 - 29.9
Obese: 30 and over
Height
Definition: Human height is the distance from the bottom of the feet to the top of the head in a human body standing erect.
Weight
Definition: The degree to which a body is drawn toward the earth by gravity.
Human height and weight vary according to both "nature" and "nurture". The particular human genome that an individual inherits is a large part of the first variable (nature), and a combination of health and environmental factors present before adulthood (when growth stops) are a major part of the second determinant (nurture).
Hereditary factors include both genes and chromosomes, and are inborn.
Environmental factors are events that occur before adult height and weight is reached respectively, such as diet, exercise, and living conditions.
Weight for Height
