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body mass index

body mass index

4 3.2
A number that shows if a person's weight is healthy for their height
  • noun
  • /ˈbɑdi mæs ˈɪndɛks/
  • Specialized
translation icon : índice de masa corporal
  • Participants were evaluated for changes in weight, waist measurements, and body mass index measures.
  • body mass index (BMI)
  • calculate body mass index
  • body mass index and weight

That's all That number means your current body mass index, your BMI.

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Examples

  • Demographic variables included age at the time of the survey, sex, body mass index (BMI), and ancestry.

    Academic text (2015)
  • And what this a study showed was that body mass index increases are correlated over time amongst friends.

  • Yeah, well, your body mass index is not what it's supposed to be.

  • However, the research hasn't found that many strong changes in body mass index or in other types of physical measures, health measures.

  • And last year, France passed a law requiring that models be above a certain body mass index or BMI.

  • All characteristics are self-reported except for body mass index.

    Academic text (2015)
  • I applied for healthcare through BlueCross BlueShield and they told me that my body mass index was too high.

  • Um, your BMI, which is the body mass index, is within normal limits, which means you're not obese.

  • Anthropometric measurements were recorded, and body mass index (BMI) was calculated.

    Academic text (2016)
  • The doctor explained that my body mass index indicates I am at a healthy weight for my height.

Synonyms

BMI
vsbody mass index
  • Specialized
20 3.5

A number that compares your weight with your height to show body size

is the full written name rather than the shortened form

How High

superobese
  • Specialized
7.6
obesity
146 3.9
overweight
1 2.4
body mass index
  • Specialized
4 3.2
underweight
8 3.1

Surface Forms

Morphology

body + mass + index

The phrase is a straightforward composition of 'body' + 'mass' + 'index' meaning a numerical indicator of body mass; a B1 learner who knows these words will infer it is a measurement relating to a person's body weight/size even if they don't know the exact formula. The same lexical construction exists in many languages (e.g., Spanish 'índice de masa corporal', French 'indice de masse corporelle'), which further supports its immediate interpretability.

Etymology

The term body mass index started as a simple number to compare a person's body, mass, meaning how heavy they are, with their height to make an 'index' or quick score. So today it is used to tell if someone is 'underweight', 'normal weight', or 'overweight'.