According to the National Institutes of Health, BMI is a useful measure of overweight and obesity that is calculated from your height and weight.
Megan Williams
Graduate Fellow
According to the National Institutes of Health, BMI is a useful measure of overweight and obesity that is calculated from your height and weight.
BMI is an estimate of body fat and a good gauge of your risk for diseases that can occur with more body fat. Specifically, a high BMI can increase your risk for certain diseases such as heart disease, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, gallstones, breathing problems, and certain cancers.
The Body Mass Index (BMI) Calculator is an excellent tool for calculating your BMI! The BMI Calculator uses your height and weight to calculate your BMI. The formula for this calculation is as follows:
\[\frac{weight*703}{height^2}\]
For example, if you were 60 inches tall and weighed 100 lbs:
(100*703)/(60^2)
## [1] 19.53
The BMI calculator is easy to use!
To get started, follow this link: https://mrw87.shinyapps.io/Course_Project/
Enter your weight in the text box labeled "Enter weight in pounds"
Enter your height in the text box labeled "Enter height in inches"
Click the "submit" button
Receive your BMI calculation, along with your current weight classifiation according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC).
As useful as this measure is, there are some exceptions to its efficacy:
It may overestimate body fat in athletes and others who have a muscular build.
It may underestimate body fat in older persons and others who have lost muscle.