BMI indicates your health risks by comparing your height and weight. Males with a BMI above 27.8 and women over 27.3 are considered overweight. Males with a BMI less than 20.7 and women below 19.1 are classified as underweight.

There are limitations to BMI so it's important to realize that it is only an estimation of body fat. People who have valid reasons for maintaining weight outside of normal ranges (pregnant or breast feeding women, competitive athletes, body builders and people who are chronically ill) may experience inaccurate BMI values. People with a high percentage of muscle mass may appear overweight using BMI because muscle is more dense than fat. A more accurate measurement can be calculated by asking a Personal Trainer to schedule a fitness assessment, which includes measuring your BMI.

Risk of Associated Disease According to BMI and Waist Size
BMI		Waist less than or equal to 40 in. (men) or 35 in. (women)	Waist greater than 40 in. (men) or 35 in. (women)
18.5 or less	Underweight	--	N/A
18.5 - 24.9	Normal	--	N/A
25.0 - 29.9	Overweight	Increased	High
30.0 - 34.9	Obese	High	Very High
35.0 - 39.9	Obese	Very High	Very High
40 or greater	Extremely Obese	Extremely High	Extremely High

In addition to your Resting Metabolic Rate and your Daily Caloric Needs, the specific exercises and activities you participate in throughout the day also add to the number of calories your body uses.
Whether your goal is to lose, gain or maintain your current weight, knowing how many calories you're using can help you adjust your calorie intake or exercise routine to meet those goals.
Whether you want to know which exercise blasts the most calories or how much your workouts contribute to your weight loss goal, our burn calculator can help. A good rule of thumb: The more intense the workout, the more calories you'll burn (although you may not be able to sustain that intensity as long).
Not for use by pregnant women

Your Resting Metabolic Rate (RMR) is the minimum number of calories your body needs to support its basic physiological functions, including breathing, circulating blood and all of the numerous biochemical reactions required to keep you alive. Your RMR is generally 60-75% of your total daily caloric expenditure.

Knowing the minimum number of calories your body needs is important if you're trying to lose, gain or maintain your current weight. To calculate the number of calories your body uses during an average day by applying an activity level...try our Daily Calorie Needs calculator.

It's also important to know how many calories your body needs to maintain certain daily activities. By combining your resting metabolic rate and your daily activity level, you will get the total number of calories your body needs during the day.