body mass index

[ bod-ee mas in-deks ]

noun

1. an index for assessing overweight and underweight, obtained by dividing body weight in kilograms by height in meters squared: a measure of 25 or more is considered overweight.

body mass index

noun

1. an index used to indicate whether a person is over- or underweight. It is obtained by dividing a person's weight in kilograms by the square of their height in metres. An index of 20–25 is normal BMI

body mass index

/ bŏd′ē /

1. A measurement of the relative percentages of fat and muscle mass in the human body, in which weight in kilograms is divided by height in meters squared. The result is used as an index of obesity.

Word History and Origins

Origin of body mass index¹

First recorded in 1955–60

Example Sentences

For example, out of 47 Japanese prefectures, Okinawa ranks first on body mass index, second on beer consumption, and fourth on suicide rate among people over the age of 65.

From Science Magazine

The standard way of categorising people's weight is by calculating their body mass index, or BMI, which means dividing an adult's weight in kilograms by the square of their height in metres.

From BBC

Weight is typically measured by the body mass index, or BMI, which correlates weight with height.

From Los Angeles Times

Cleveland Clinic defines class III obesity as a “chronic condition” in which a person has a body mass index of 40 or higher, or a BMI of 35 or higher while experiencing obesity-related health conditions.

From Los Angeles Times

"We were surprised to see a fairly robust link between aircraft noise and higher body mass index among women across the US."

From Science Daily