Learn to Use Printable BMI Chart
Body mass index or BMI represents the ratio between body weight and height. In order to know your BMI, some methods are available to implement. Today, BMI calculator is the best way to know your body index. However, some people still rely on printable BMI chart. Using the chart helps to monitor whether you are in good BMI or not.
Understanding Body Mass Index
First thing before exploring printable BMI chart is you must know about body mass index. This term gained popularity in early 1960s. People started to concern more about body and health diet. In that time, food and beverage affected lifestyle significantly.
In simple term, you can calculate BMI by using simple formula. Body weight uses kilogram and height in meter by square. You can divide the weight and height then the result is BMI. This number shows the weight you have at certain height.
In the chart, BMI will have additional sections, which is sex, age, and activity. Two people have different BMI even though they look similar. Moreover, in early age, baby and children must gain as much as weight proportionally for excellent growth.
Using Printable BMI Chart
Calculation is not enough because you must know your BMI at that moment. This is where printable BMI chart provides guideline. The chart is easy to utilize by everyone.
- Weight and height
After obtaining chart, you can see two sections at vertical and horizontal lines. They are height and weight respectively. You do not need to calculate, but follow those lines and find where you are in term of height-weight.
- Chart index
The next step is to follow which index that contains weight and height from yours. That index will be the point, such as 18, 20, etc. This is your BMI based on the chart. However, it is better to calculate separately and see that the index is equal to calculation result.
- Color area
Most charts use color to indicate certain purposes. You may find plain chart without color. This is useful for knowing BMI, but not enough to obtain information about your body mass condition. The colors consist of blue, green, yellow, and red. They start from left to right.
When you are in far left, it means the BMI is at underweight level. Green is the best index, which is normal. When you are in yellow, you may be overweight, and the red color represents obese. Based on this explanation, you know why the BMI chart is important.
- Health risk parameters
Beside colors, the chart usually has additional information. It follows BMI number from left to right side. Health risk is related to which color you are in that chart.
BMI Guideline and Diet
Knowing BMI is not enough, especially for people with obese issue. The chart shows that overweight and obese have high risk for disease. Based on the result, you must start to put much concern about your health condition.
Printable BMI chart is also useful to create diet. With BMI as guideline, you just follow each chart movement until in middle of green area. From the chart, you can see your BMI in past time, and what will be in the future.