How to Convert BMI

Working out your Body Mass Index (BMI) will give you a guide as to your body weight classification if you are an adult over age 19. BMI represents your body status based on your height and your weight. Although there are factors that can offset this, such as someone who has high muscle mass, BMI can provide a good rule of thumb to help you assess your own body. Many BMI calculators are available on the Internet; the method below allows you to calculate it yourself.

Instructions

• 1

  Check your weight in pounds.

• 2

  Multiply your weight in pounds by 703. For example, if you weigh 142 pounds, multiply 142 by 703 to get 99,826.

• 3

  Work out your height in inches, and multiply this by itself. Multiply feet by 12 to find inches. If you are 5 feet tall, this is 60 inches. 60 x 60 is 3,600.

• 4

  Divide the number you got for your weight x 703 by your height in inches squared. In the above example, you would divide 99,826 by 3,600, which is 27.729.

• 5

  Check your result with the weight status categories. A BMI of 18.5 and below is classified as "Underweight." Between 18.5 and 24.9 is "Normal." Between 25 and 29.9 is "Overweight" and above 30 is "Obese."

• 6

  Calculate your "Normal" weight by running the calculation in reverse. Multiply your height in inches by itself and multiply this by 24. In the example above for someone 5 feet tall, this would be 60 x 60 x 24, which is 86,400. Divide this by 703 to find the weight in pounds that would give a BMI of 24. 86,400 divided by 703 is 122.9 lbs. This would need to be your weight to have a "Normal" BMI of 24.