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If a child goes through a developmental phase sooner or later than average, a BMI that is too high or too low according to the age group may be present despite normal weight. The limits of an appropriate BMI are strongly related to the child's developmental stage. The BMI is calculated using the same formula as the BMI of adults, but is interpreted according to age. In children and infants, the BMI can be used as a rough guideline for the healthy development of the child. Age and gender play an important role in the interpretation of the BMI. The BMI is only a rough guide value, as it does not take into account a person's stature or the individual composition of body mass from fat and muscle tissue. The Body Mass Index (BMI) is a measure of a person's body weight in relation to their height. That is, the normal range (green in the diagrams) corresponds to the average in the population at the time of the survey. The interpretation of the calculated BMI value is based on the comparison with the tabulated average values of the population. The present BMI classification of the WHO has essentially existed since 1995.įor example, if a person is 175 cm tall and weights 65 kg, then the BMI is calculated as follows:īMI = m ÷ L 2 = 65 ÷ 1.75 2 = 65 ÷ (1.75 ⋅ 1.75) = 65 ÷ 3.0625 = 21.2 Since the beginning of the 1980s, the BMI has also been used by the World Health Organization. The BMI is a rough guide, since it does not take into account either stature or weight distribution. The American journal of clinical nutrition 51 (2): 241–7.Ģ) Harris J, Benedict F (1918) A Biometric Study of Human Basal Metabolism PNAS 4 (12): 370–3.The Body Mass Index (BMI) is a measure that sets the weight in the ratio to the square of the body weights. Medication – certain medicines may affect the metabolic processes.ġ) Mifflin, MD St Jeor, ST Hill, LA Scott, BJ Daugherty, SA Koh, YO (1990) A new predictive equation for resting energy expenditure in healthy individuals. Eating habits – starvation or long periods of dieting can decrease the BEE.
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Thyroid hormones are responsible with the regulation of the rate, if they are too high, then the metabolic rate increases. Hormonal function – hormones such as the thyroid or cortisol are regulators of the metabolic rate. Body surface area – the greater the surface the higher the rate, therefore even tall and thin people tend to have higher BEEs. Body composition – the more muscle the higher the metabolic rate is, even at rest because muscle tissue e burns up to 5 times more calories than fat. For children and teens, BMI is age- and sex-specific and is often referred to as BMI-for-age. It is an inexpensive and easy-to-perform method of screening for weight categories that may lead to health problems. Gender – as women have more body fat than lean muscle, they tend to have a lower metabolic rate than men. Body mass index (BMI) is a person’s weight in kilograms divided by the square of height in meters. Age – metabolic rate is higher during the rapid growth period and it decreases, with a rapid rate after the age of 40 because of the decrease in lean mass that is replaced with body fat.
#Bmr calculator for kids series#
These measurements are now used to evaluate the metabolic status and prepare weight loss plans.īEE is a measure of the individual metabolic status and takes account of factors such as weight and height, exercise routine and also a series of medical conditions.
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This caloric need is roughly 70% of the calories burned each day. Is the same with the basal energy expenditure and represents the amount of energy you need when resting in order to support all the vital functions when at rest without any stress factors. This means that he needs at least this amount of daily caloric intake just to support the basic functions of his body. Male: BMR = 66 + (6.23 x weight in lbs) + (12.7 x height in inches) - (6.8 x age in years) Example calculationįor a male, aged 29, weighing 191 lbs at a height of 6ft 4in: The BEE formulas based on the work of Harris and Benedict, used with English units: lbs and inches are presented below.įemale: BMR = 655 + (4.35 x weight in lbs) + (4.7 x height in inches) - (4.7 x age in years)
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This basal energy expenditure calculator asks you to input your age, gender, weight and height, the last two you can input either in English or metric measurements and of course you can make as many calculation as you like with any variables. When talking about basic energy expenditure we can refer to the same amount of energy our body uses when sleeping, but in day to day activities, we require a lot more than that. This is the minimum of calories you ought to consume to ensure your body has the minimum resources. This is a health tool allowing you to see exactly how many calories a day your body requires to support its basic metabolic functions. How does this basal energy expenditure calculator work?
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