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Medicine vocabulary · History Taking and Examination

BMI

Meaning in medicine, with examples

/ˌbiː em ˈaɪ/abbreviationCommon term

In medicine, BMI means: Short for body mass index: weight in kilograms divided by the square of height in metres, used to classify a person's weight.

In Turkish: VKİ, vücut kitle indeksi

How it is used

Recorded in clinic and before surgery. In adults 18.5–24.9 is the healthy range, 25–29.9 overweight and 30 or more obese, although BMI does not show muscle mass or where fat is stored. Doctors say 'a BMI of 32', not 'a BMI 32'.

Example sentences

  1. His BMI is 34, which puts him in the obese range.

  2. We need an up-to-date weight and BMI before the operation.

Common collocations

  • high BMI
  • calculate BMI
  • BMI of 30
  • BMI range
  • obesityA condition in which a person has so much body fat that it may harm their health; in adults it is usually defined as a BMI of 30 or more.
  • vital signsThe basic body measurements checked to see how ill a patient is: temperature, pulse, breathing rate and blood pressure, and often oxygen level.
  • risk factorAnything that makes a person more likely to develop a disease, such as smoking, high blood pressure, age or family history.
  • physical examinationThe part of a consultation where the doctor looks at, feels, taps and listens to the patient's body to find signs of disease.

This word in other fields

The same English word can have a different meaning in another field:

More terms: History Taking and Examination

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This page explains English vocabulary for learners. It is not medical advice.