Dietitians of Canada

Assess your BMI

Body mass index (BMI) is one of many factors that you and your health care provider can use to assess your health. It is a quick screening tool for assessing health risk based on your height and weight.
Calculate your BMI

Limitations of the BMI

BMI is a handy tool, but it is not right for everyone. It may not accurately assess health risks in certain adults, including:

• muscular athletes
• people under age 18 who have not reached full growth
• pregnant or lactating women
• adults over 65 years of age.

Talk with your health care provider or registered dietitian if you have concerns about your Body Mass Index.

BMI for Children and Teens

BMI can also be used to assess health risk for children over 2 years of age. However, the standards used to define overweight and obesity are different for young people than for adults. Talk to your family doctor about assessing your child's or teenager's BMI.