Most people know that good health hinges on more than a single number, yet there’s one figure that’s been punching above its weight for over 100 years.
Body Mass Index, or BMI, is calculated by taking a person’s weight and dividing it by their height squared.
Doctors commonly use BMI to quickly categorise people as underweight (BMI less than 18.5), overweight (25 to 29.9), obese (30 or more), or somewhere in between (18.5 to 24.9).
In the research world, BMI is considered statistical gold and has been deemed the cheapest and easiest way to track and study obesity in the population.
BMI values are also commonplace in many other settings, including wellbeing apps, insurance forms and classrooms. They’ve even caused a stir within the fashion industry, with several countries, including
