body mass index

noun

: a measure of body fat that is the ratio of the weight of the body in kilograms to the square of its height in meters

Examples of body mass index in a Sentence

A person with a body mass index of more than 30 is considered to be obese.

Recent Examples on the Web

Across a sample of nearly 17 million adults in a new JAMA Health Forum study, mean population body mass index grew from 2013 to 2021. —Tim Ryan, Newsweek, 17 Dec. 2024

The study looked at body mass index measurements of more than 16.7 million adults across different geographic regions, age groups, sexes, races and ethnicities from 2013 through 2023. —Denise Chow, NBC News, 13 Dec. 2024

One of the measures that can help in measuring and interpreting your weight is body mass index. —Karina Zaiets, USA TODAY, 9 Dec. 2024

For example, out of 47 Japanese prefectures, Okinawa ranks first on body mass index, second on beer consumption, and fourth on suicide rate among people over the age of 65. —science.org, 21 Nov. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1983, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

body mass index

noun

: a measure of body fat that is the ratio of the weight of the body in kilograms to the square of its height in meters

Medical Definition

body mass index

noun

: a measure of body fat that is the ratio of the weight of the body in kilograms to the square of its height in meters

a body mass index in adults of 25 to 29.9 is considered an indication of overweight, and 30 or more an indication of obesity

—abbreviation BMI

called also Quetelet index