What now?
Now you've found out your Body Mass Index, do you need to lose weight?
If your results come up as 'overweight', 'obese' or 'morbidly obese' it is worthwhile consulting your doctor, but this might not necessarily mean you are overweight if you have a lot of muscle.
Body Mass Index: Your weight divided by your height to work out your ideal, healthy weight.
Body Fat Index: Which percentage of your body is made up of fat
A more accurate way of finding out if your weight is damaging to your health is finding out your Body Fat Index. The Body Mass Index includes muscle (which weighs more than fat) and may conclude that healthy, athletic people are overweight when their body fat is actually very low.
Why does is matter if I'm a man or a woman?
Women naturally have more body fat and men naturally have more muscle mass, meaning sex is important in determing healthy weights and body fat index.
In order to get a Body Fat reading, you can visit your doctor or a fitness expert at your local gym.
If you are not a particularly atheltic person and your BMI is suggesting that you lose weight, it might be worthwhile evaluating your eating habits and think about improving your lifestyle in order to reach a healthier weight (with the guidance and help of your GP).