Body Mass Index

Your Optimum Weight

How do you know if you are too heavy (or too light)? There is a formula which calculates a number based on your body weight and your body length. This number is your BMI (=Body Mass Index). You can calculate it like this:

• A = Your weight in kilos. / Berat tubuh dalam kg
• B = The square of your length in meters / kuadrat tingi badan dalam meter
• BMI = A / B

An example of the calculation. Imagine that your weight is 70 kilos and your length is 1.75 meter.

• A=70
• B= 1.75 x 1.75 = 3.0625
• BMI = 70 / 3.0625 = 22.9

Now you can look up in the following table what this means. With a BMI of 22.9 you are normal.

BMI
18 or less	underweight
18 to 25	normal
25 to 27	slightly overweight
27 to 30	moderate overweight
30 to 40	serious overweight (obese)
40 or more	very serious overweight (extreme obesity)

This table is for people of 20 years and older. For children adapted versions are needed.

Maybe your weight is normal, but this does not mean that your fitness is normal. To know if you have a good condition, try the Cooper test.

www.bijlmakers.com/cooper/yourweight.htm