What Is the Purpose of BMI?

Body mass index BMI categorizes people into four weight classes. BMI
determines whether you are underweight, normal weight, overweight or
obese. BMI is a reliable way to determine whether a person has too much
body fat is to calculate the ratio of their weight to their height squared.
BMI is calculated by dividing weight (in kilograms) by height (in meters)
squared. The World Health Organization defines overweight as a BMI of 25.0
to 29.9 and obesity as a BMI greater than 30. A BMI value of 19.5 to 24.9 is
considered normal, and less than 18.5 is defined as underweight.

If your BMI is high, you may have an increased risk of developing certain diseases including:

high blood pressure

heart disease

high cholesterol and blood lipids (LDL)

Type 2 Diabetes

sleep apnea

osteoarthritis

female infertility

gastroesophageal reflux (GERD)

urinary stress incontinence