Percentage Chart

People who have a BMI over 25 are considered overweight. But what does that actually mean?

The BMI refers to the body mass index, defined as an individual’s body weight divided by the square of their height.

The BMI is supposed to help give an estimation of how healthy a person is based on their weight. While a person’s BMI can be calculated quickly and without expensive equipment, the index isn’t as accurate as it could be. Since BMI is only concerned with total weight, it doesn’t take into account frame size or muscularity. Many athletes have a BMI index that would put them in the “overweight” category because of their weight—from all that muscle. Because muscle density, bone density and body frame are not taken into account, some individuals can have a BMI of less than 25 and still be considered overweight by other measures, while others may have a BMI that is significantly higher without falling into that category.