Body Mass Index (or BMI) is a measurement that physicians use to determine the level of obesity in a patient. Bariatric surgeons in particular use this measurement (and other factors) to determine if a person is a candidate for bariatric surgery / weight-loss surgery. A body mass index of more than 40, given the presence of other supporting criteria, usually suggests that a person is morbidly obese by medical standards.
More Definitions of BMI:
- A mathematical formula to assess relative body weight. The measure correlates highly with body fat. Calculated as weight in kilograms divided by the square of the height in meters (kg/m 2 ).
www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml - the number, derived by using height and weight measurements, that gives a general indication if weight falls within a healthy range.
www.rch.org.au/ceed/disorders.cfm - a measure to determine the amount of body fat and amount of lean body mass.
ymghealthinfo.org/content.asp - A popular method used to gauge whether or not a person is overweight. BMI is calculated by dividing a person’s weight (in kilograms) by his or her height (in meters, squared).
my.webmd.com/content/article/46/2731_1672 - A measure of body weight relative to height. BMI can be used to determine if people are at a healthy weight, overweight, or obese. To figure out BMI, use the following formula:
win.niddk.nih.gov/publications/glossary/AthruL.htm