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