Tamalpais High School Name:
PE Core-2
Mr. Nygaard Period:
Assessing Body Composition
Body Mass Index (BMI)
Body Composition: The make-up of the body’s tissues, including muscle, bone and body fat and the ratios between them.
What is my BMI?
When it comes to defining the word "obesity," the BMI, or Body Mass Index, is an important number. Your BMI number allows you to see how you compare to the average healthy individual, and gives you the information you need to encourage a healthy exercise program and diet regimen. Calculating your BMI is quick and easy, and in most cases all you need is your height and weight measurements.
What exactly is it?
The Body Mass Index is a number calculated from a person's height in relation to his or her weight. Once these numbers are inserted into the BMI formula, they give a semi-accurate prediction of the level of fat in the body. Though not as accurate as energy X-rays or water weighing, BMI still works as a way to estimate body fat. BMI calculation is also free and available to everyone, unlike other methods that can be expensive. It should be noted that individuals with high muscle content (many athletes) can register as “obese” because muscle weighs significantly more that fat.
How it's used.
BMI is a screening method to help determine the level of obesity in an individual, and therefore his risk of weight-related health problems. A high BMI does not guarantee that an individual is going to have health issues, but it does give him a reason to get a full checkup by a doctor.
Calculating your Body Mass Index:
1. Convert your body weight to kilograms by dividing your weight in pounds by 2.2
Body Weight lbs (divided by) 2.2lb/kg = Body Weight kg
2. Convert your height to meters by multiplying your height in inches by 0.0254
Height inches x 0.0254 m/in. = Height m
3. Square your height measurement.
Height m x Height m = m2
4. BMI equals body weight in kilograms divided by height in meters squared (kg/m2).
Body Weight kg (divided by) height m2 = BMI kg/m2
Rating your Body Mass Index BMI:
Refer to the classification table for a rating of your BMI. Record the results below.
BMI: kg/m2 Classification: