Your BMI, or Body Mass Index, is a measure of your weight compared to your height. Accurate assessments of obesity are important, as being overweight or obese significantly increases your risk of a variety of medical conditions including type 2 diabetes, heart disease and cancer. As levels of overweight or obesity increase, the spotlight has fallen on BMI and its shortcomings as a measure of ideal weight for individuals, rather than whole populations of people where 'averages' apply.
A normal BMI score falls between 18.5 and 24.9. This indicates that a person is within the normal weight range for his or her height. A BMI chart is used to categorize a person as underweight, normal, overweight, or obese.
