Appendix C

Arthritis and Indiana:
Our State's Burden

Body Mass Index

A Body Mass Index (BMI) score of 25 to 29.9 is classified as overweight and a BMI of 30 or higher is classified as obese.

Body Mass Index Chart24


Calculating BMI is simple, quick, and inexpensive--but it does have limitations. One problem with using BMI as a measurement tool is that very muscular people may fall into the "overweight" category when they are actually healthy and fit. Another problem with using BMI is that people who have lost muscle mass, such as the elderly, may be in the "healthy weight" category--according to their BMI--when they actually have reduced nutritional reserves. BMI, therefore, is useful as a general guideline to monitor trends in the population, but by itself is not diagnostic of an individual patient's health status. Further evaluation of a patient should be performed to determine his or her weight status and associated health risks.

(BMI source:
