Body Mass Index (BMI) is a widely used health metric that estimates body fat based on your weight and height. Developed by Belgian mathematician Adolphe Quetelet in the 1830s, BMI remains one of the most common tools used by healthcare professionals worldwide to screen for weight-related health risks.

The BMI formula is simple: BMI = weight (kg) ÷ height² (m²). For example, a person weighing 70 kg with a height of 1.75 m would have a BMI of 70 ÷ (1.75 × 1.75) = 22.9, which falls in the normal weight range.

While BMI is an excellent screening tool, it has limitations. It does not differentiate between muscle mass and fat mass, so athletes or highly muscular individuals may have a high BMI without excess body fat. For a comprehensive health assessment, BMI should be used alongside other metrics such as waist circumference, body fat percentage, and blood pressure.