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3 Useful Information
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3.11 The Body-Mass-Index (BMI)
The Body-Mass-Index (BMI) evaluates the body weight of a human in relation to his body
height (underweight, normal weight, overweight, obese).
The BMI is calculated by dividing the body weight (kg) by the square body height in
meters (m²).
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BMI / Adult (according to WHO):
BMI
(kg/m²) Category
< 16
16 - 17
17 - 18,5
18,5 - 25
25 - 30
30 - 35
35 - 40
≥ 40
Severe underweight
Moderate underweight
Light underweight
Normal weight
Overweight
Obese class I
Obese class II
Obese class III
The BMI does not take stature and gender into account. Also the individual body com-
position out of muscles and fat is not considered. Therefore the value should only be
considered as a rough guidance.
The BMI depends on the age and the gender of a person. The following table shows
the ideal BMI values for different age groups.
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Age BMI
19 - 24 years
25 - 34 years
35 - 44 years
45 - 54 years
55 - 64 years
> 64 years
19 - 24
20 - 25
21 - 26
22 - 27
23 - 28
24 - 29