BMI stands for body mass index. It is a convenient way to see whether someone is likely to be either over or under weight.
The way BMI is calculated for South Asians is different to the way in which it is calculated for people with a European background.
The reason for this is that South Asians have been found to be more at risk of the problems of being overweight such as type 2 diabetes and heart disease.
Read more about the risk factors of diabetes
| BMI | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Below 18.5 | Underweight |
| 18.5 to 22.9 | Healthy weight |
| 23 and above | Above ideal range |
When you have your BMI number refer to the table below and determine whether you are underweight, in the normal range or overweight.
Limitations of BMI measurements
For certain people, the BMI measurement may not be the best measure as the calculation assumes that people will have more or less a similar amount of muscle.
Therefore those who have a high level of muscle mass may incorrectly fall into the overweight bracket.
