BMI or Body Mass Index is a globally acknowledged, scientific method of measuring obesity. Recommended by the WHO (World Health Organization), BMI is used to classify a person under following categories and level of associated health risks:

1) Underweight
2) Normal
3) Overweight
4) Obese

The classification of Underweight, Normal Overweight and Obese according to BMI is given in the table below (Ref: Misra A. Body Composition and the metabolic syndrome in Asian Indians: A saga of multiple adversities. Natl Medical J India 2003;16(1):3-7 )

Classification of adults according to BMI

Though globally a BMI of 25 is accepted as normal, for Indians this value is considered higher because at lower BMI they tend to accumulate higher fat percentage which is the actual cause behind developing various other medical disorders and diseases.

A normal BMI should ideally fall between 18.5 and 22.9. A BMI between 23 and 29.9 is considered overweight and anything above that qualifies as obese.

While an individual may have a normal BMI, he/she may still be at a risk of developing health problems due to excessive abdominal fat deposits around the waist. This condition is quite common amongst Indian citizens. A waist circumference of greater than 80 cm (31.5 inches)in women and greater than 90 cm (35.4 inches)in men indicates a higher waist circumference than the normal limit. Waist Circumference serves as a crucial measure of abdominal or central obesity, which is associated with an increased risk of developing Type II Diabetes, Dyslipidemia, Hypertension and Cardiovascular diseases.

The classification of Underweight, Normal Overweight and Obese according to BMI is given in the table below (Ref: Misra A. Body Composition and the metabolic syndrome in Asian Indians: A saga of multiple adversities. Natl Medical J India 2003;16(1):3-7 )