{"id":3814,"date":"2025-05-29T11:07:10","date_gmt":"2025-05-29T11:07:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lipedemaac.com\/calculadora-imc-lipedema\/"},"modified":"2025-09-05T10:52:26","modified_gmt":"2025-09-05T10:52:26","slug":"lipedema-bmi-calculator","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/lipedemaac.com\/en\/lipedema-bmi-calculator\/","title":{"rendered":"Body Mass Index (BMI)"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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Body mass index (BMI)<\/strong> is a widely used tool for assessing the relationship between a person’s weight and height. Despite its simplicity, it remains a basic reference in nutritional diagnosis and body weight classification. However, its usefulness goes beyond the number: interpreting it correctly can help identify risk factors associated with overweight, obesity or malnutrition.<\/p>

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In this article, we explain in detail what BMI is, how it is calculated, what its values mean, and why in some cases, such as lipoedema, it may be insufficient to reflect the patient’s clinical reality.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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What is body mass index?<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Body mass index (BMI)<\/strong> is a measure that allows us to estimate whether a person’s weight is within a healthy range in relation to their height. It is calculated by dividing body weight (in kilograms) by height (in metres) squared:<\/p>

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BMI = weight (kg) \/ [height (m)]\u00b2<\/strong><\/p>

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Its main use is to provide quick, standardised guidance on an individual’s nutritional status. Based on the values obtained, weight can be classified into categories such as underweight, normal weight, overweight or obese.<\/p>

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Despite being a statistical and indicative tool, BMI is used by international organisations such as the World Health Organisation (WHO)<\/strong> and is present in medical protocols, public health programmes and initial clinical assessments.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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History and origin of the Quetelet index<\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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BMI<\/strong> was developed in the 19th century by Belgian mathematician and statistician Adolphe Quetelet<\/strong>, who was looking for a simple formula to study human growth in populations. For this reason, it was initially known as the Quetelet index.<\/p>


Its modern application was consolidated in the 1970s, when the WHO and other organisations adopted it as a screening tool for weight-related health problems. Since then, it has been used in epidemiological studies, medical assessments and global health policies.<\/p>


However, its use must always be contextualised, as it does not distinguish between fat mass, muscle mass or body distribution, factors that significantly influence an individual’s actual health.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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How is BMI calculated?<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Calculating body mass index is simple, quick and does not require any specialised medical equipment. All you need to know is the person’s weight and height to obtain an approximate value that allows you to classify their nutritional status.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Body Mass Index Formula<\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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The standard formula for calculating BMI is as follows:<\/p>

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BMI = weight (kg) \/ [height (m)]\u00b2<\/strong><\/p>

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Where:<\/p>

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  • Weight is expressed in kilograms (kg).<\/li>
  • Height is expressed in metres (m) and must be squared.<\/li><\/ul>

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    This formula has been adopted by the World Health Organisation (WHO) as an international reference for assessing body weight in adults.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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    Example of BMI calculation<\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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    Let’s look at a practical example:<\/p>

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    A person weighs 70 kg<\/strong> and is 1.65 m<\/strong> tall.<\/p>

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    We square the height:<\/p>


    1.65 \u00d7 1.65 = 2.7225<\/p>


    We divide the weight by that value:<\/p>


    70 \u00f7 2.7225 = 25.7<\/strong><\/p>


    Result: BMI = 25.7<\/strong><\/p>


    According to WHO criteria, this person would be classified as overweight (BMI between 25.0 and 29.9).<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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    BMI calculator: a quick and accurate tool<\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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    To facilitate this process, you can use our online BMI calculator<\/strong> available on this page. Simply enter your weight and height, and the system will automatically calculate your body mass index.<\/p>

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    In addition, our tool includes an automatic interpretation of the result according to international reference tables, allowing you to know if you are in a healthy range or if there are risks associated with your current weight.<\/p>

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    Important: although BMI is useful as a general guide, it is not a substitute for a complete medical evaluation. In specific clinical conditions such as lipoedema, BMI may not reflect the patient’s actual body condition, as we will see later.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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