English how-to · updated 2026
A health search that stays in the top of “body” queries. This page has 50 important questions and answers. Original explainer for daily search — not a government login or live tracker.
BMI (body mass index) is weight (kg) divided by height (m) squared. Example: 70 kg and 1.75 m → 70 ÷ (1.75 × 1.75) ≈ 22.9. Adult bands (WHO) run underweight / healthy / overweight / obesity — they are screening tools, not a diagnosis.
BMI does not see muscle vs fat, bone, or where fat sits. Athletes can score “overweight” and still be fit. Children use age-and-sex charts, not adult cut-offs. Talk to a clinician about health, not a comment section.
50 important questions. Quick 10 is a random set; Full set plays every question.
Original explainers for English readers — not copied match reports or official papers. Tap a question to see the answer.
Answer: kg / m²
Convert stones/pounds and feet/inches first if needed.
Answer: in the healthy range (WHO adult bands)
Bands are population screens.
Answer: muscle versus fat
A rugby forward may have a high BMI.
Answer: age-and-sex percentile charts
Paediatric rules differ.
Answer: 22.9
1.75² = 3.0625; 70 ÷ 3.0625 ≈ 22.9.
Answer: a quick screen, not a full health exam
Waist, bloods, and fitness add context.
Answer: lb and inches with a convert factor (703 × lb / in²)
Online NHS/CDC calculators do this.
Answer: shame someone or skip medical advice
Eating-disorder risk needs care, not a calculator flex.
Answer: 18.5 to 24.9
It is a screening band, not a diagnosis.
Answer: overweight on WHO adult charts
Athletes can land here with high muscle.
Answer: obesity on WHO adult charts
Classes I–III split higher values.
Answer: underweight
A clinician should look at why.
Answer: class II obesity on many adult charts
Local labels can vary slightly.
Answer: class III (severe) obesity on many charts
Health risk is about more than the number.
Answer: in metres, then squared
175 cm is 1.75 m, not 175.
Answer: 24.7
1.80 squared is 3.24; 80 / 3.24 is about 24.7.
Answer: 23.4
1.60 squared is 2.56; 60 / 2.56 is about 23.4.
Answer: 31.1
1.70 squared is 2.89; 90 / 2.89 is about 31.1.
Answer: 22.2
1.50 squared is 2.25; 50 / 2.25 is about 22.2.
Answer: 25.0
2 squared is 4; 100 / 4 = 25.
Answer: body-fat percentage
Two people with the same BMI can look different.
Answer: avoid adult BMI as a solo health grade
Ask a clinician about weight in pregnancy.
Answer: central fat adds risk the BMI can miss
Tape plus BMI is a common pair.
Answer: lower than generic WHO overweight lines
Local guidance beats a random blog.
Answer: higher BMI with different risk than a young adult at the same number
Sarcopenia and fat mix change.
Answer: fit, because muscle is dense
Fitness tests and waist add context.
Answer: 703 × lb / in²
Official calculators apply this.
Answer: 25.0
703 × 150 / 65² ≈ 24.96.
Answer: divide by 100 to get metres
180 cm is 1.80 m.
Answer: match the formula you chose
kg with cm unconverted is a classic error.
Answer: age-and-sex percentile charts, not adult cut-offs alone
A paediatrician reads the centile.
Answer: see oedema, amputation, or plaster casts that change weight
Clinical judgement still matters.
Answer: a reason to seek care, not a diet contest
Eating-disorder risk needs specialists.
Answer: population screens linked to average risk, not a moral grade
Talk treatment with a clinician.
Answer: 2.72
1.65 × 1.65 = 2.7225.
Answer: 25.7
That sits near the overweight line for adults.
Answer: a simple population index (Quetelet), not a full medical exam
It stuck because it is cheap to compute.
Answer: the same BMI map risk less accurately
Other measures help at the extremes.
Answer: water and gut contents, not a new BMI class
Do not chase daily calculator drama.
Answer: change weight and/or (rarely) adult height is fixed
Height in adults is not a lever.
Answer: low body fat with a BMI that still looks high
Look at composition, not only the ratio.
Answer: centile charts used with a professional
Do not apply adult shame to a growing body.
Answer: it is fast to track in a record over time
Trends in one person can still inform care.
Answer: waist, fitness, bloods, and disease risk
The number is the start, not the end.
Answer: moves BMI more than people expect
Measure height carefully, shoes off.
Answer: converted to kg (or used in a matching imperial tool)
1 stone is 14 pounds; then convert.
Answer: a beauty score or a comment-section weapon
Shame is not a clinical tool.
Answer: inside the common adult healthy band
1.75² = 3.0625; 70 / 3.0625 ≈ 22.9.
Answer: they apply the unit conversions for you
Still read the limitation notes.
Answer: deny someone care or mock them
People are not a single index.
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