How to Measure Your Weight vs. Your Body Mass

Measuring your weight can give you a quick idea of how fit you are and whether you might need to lose weight to enter a more healthy range. Use your weight, along with your height, to determine your body mass index, or BMI. Your BMI gives your a number that corresponds to a category of weight.

Instructions

• 1

  Step onto a scale to measure your weight. Use only scales designed for this purpose, and remove any shoes or excess clothing to get the most accurate result. Weigh yourself at the same time each day to accurately compare weights, because your weight fluctuates throughout the day.

• 2

  Measure your height. Don't use old estimates for your height to calculate your BMI. Have someone else measure you for best results.

• 3

  Calculate your BMI using this equation:

  BMI = 703 * (weight / height^2)

  A healthy BMI ranges from 18.5 to 22.9. Anorexic or severely underweight BMI values include those less than 14.9; underweight BMIs range from 15 to 18.4; overweight BMIs range from 23 to 27.5; obese BMI values range from 27.6 to 40; and morbidly obese values include anything above 40.