BMI or Body mass index is defined as your body weight divided by the square of your height. It is a measure of body fat based on height and weight that applies to both adult men and women.
It is generally acknowledged that obesity increases the risk of many diseases, including diabetes mellitus, hypertension, coronary heart disease, cholelithiasis, cancer of the endometrium, colon and kidney, stroke, osteoarthritis and infertility. These risks become more evident as the BMI increases. The risk of obesity has increased significantly in western countries over the years and now in China and India also.
Body mass index (BMI) is categorized by the International Obesity Task Force as:
