What is BMI (Body Mass Index)?

BMI (Body Mass Index) is calculated based on the ratio of your weight to the square of your height. It acts like a snapshot of "body density," allowing for a quick assessment of whether your total weight falls within a healthy range.

WHO Evaluation Standards

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), BMI values are typically categorized into the following ranges:

• Underweight: Less than 18.5.
• Normal: Between 18.5 and 25.
• Overweight: Between 25 and 30.
• Obese: 30 and above.

Limitations of BMI?

While BMI is a great universal tool, it has clear limitations.

The biggest blind spot of BMI is that it cannot distinguish between muscle and fat. For example, people who engage in long-term strength training have high muscle density and weight. Their BMI might be classified as "Overweight" or even "Obese," but in reality, their body fat percentage is very low, and they are very healthy.

Therefore, BMI is just one piece of the health puzzle. To get a more accurate answer, we suggest combining Body Fat Percentage and Fat-Free Mass to interpret your body status together.

참고문헌

World Health Organization. (n.d.). Body mass index (BMI). Retrieved March 9, 2026, from https://www.who.int/tools/growth-reference-data-for-5-19-years/bmi-for-age

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