How To Calculate Body Mass Index And Required Calories

The body mass index is a standard method that determines if your weight is within a range. This formula was created by the Belgian statistician Adolphe Quetelet, which is why it is also known as the Quetelet index or “Body Mass Index”, BMI.

It is calculated using height in centimeters and weight in kilograms, from this formula: weight (kg) / height (m2), and it is applied to both adult men and women.

For example, a woman who measures 1.65 and weighs 70 kilos, would be calculated as follows: 70 / 1.65 x 1.65; your body mass index would be 25.7.

Classification according to BMI

Depending on the result of the body mass index, obesity is classified as follows :

– With a body mass index less than 18.5, there is weight below normal.
– With a body mass index between 18.5-24.9, the weight is considered normal.
– With a body mass index between 25 to 29.9, it is considered overweight.
– With a body mass index between 30 to 34.9, it is considered type I obesity.
– With a body mass index between 35 to 39.9, it is considered type II obesity.
– With a body mass index greater than 40, it is considered type III obesity.

However, on some occasions, this measure does not work. This is the case of athletes, for example. The BMI uses the weight value, but does not take into account whether it is mainly due to fat or muscle mass.

An athlete with a very small body fat percentage will surely obtain a category of overweight or obesity in the BMI classification. In these cases, other measures would be necessary since the BMI is not useful.

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How to calculate calorie needs

• Multiply your weight in kilograms by 9.99, which will be called A
• Now multiply your height in centimeters by 6.25, which will be called B
• Finally, multiply your age by 4.92 to what will be called C

After doing this, add A and B, and then subtract C (A + B – C). Women must subtract an additional 161, while men must add an additional 5 ; the result is the number of calories you need to maintain your weight.

These are the daily calorie requirements, but to lose weight, you must create a deficit of 500 calories per day, that is, eat about 500 calories less, but you can also burn an extra 500 calories, through exercise. To lose about 400-500 grams a week, you must reduce about 3,500 calories from your weekly caloric intake or eliminate 500 calories per day.

The best permanent results are obtained through the combination of a healthy and balanced diet and moderate daily exercise, which you must maintain as a habit of life, if you want to lose weight and reach the desired weight.

Factors to take into account

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Currently, it is important to note that the formula is falling into disuse. This is because, as science has advanced, it has been discovered that BMI does not make a difference between body fat and muscle fat, which means that, in the end, it does not provide very accurate results.

“An athlete or a bodybuilder will always be overweight if we consider their weight in relation to their height, but they do not have the health problems that an obese person has. The latter has problems due to the amount of fat they have, not because of their weight ”, explains Carmen Escalada, a nutritionist at the European Medical Institute for Obesity (IMEO). The amount of fat can better mark our state of health.

On the other hand, women between the ages of 19 and 30 may need a minimum of 2,000 calories ; women between the ages of 31 and 50 need a minimum of 1,800, while women over 50 can consume a minimum of 1,600 calories.

Those more active women burn and need more calories than less active ones, but age is still an important factor; a 25-year-old woman, who is moderately active and a 32-year-old very active, can consume up to 2,200 calories per day, the same in both cases.