While not actually measuring the percentage of body fat, it is used to calculate whether a person is underweight, a healthy weight, overweight or obese for their height. It allows for natural variations in body shape, giving a healthy weight range for a particular height.

The calculation divides the adult’s weight in kilograms by their height in meters squared.

BMI Calculator

Numerous tools are available for calculating BMI. But we prefer this tool from the NHS and can calculate BMI for children.

NHS Healthy Weight Calculator

Note: Most widely available BMI calculators are for adults only.

BMI Categories

• BMI 16.5 or below: Severely underweight
• BMI 16.5-18.4: Underweight
• BMI 18.5-24.9: Healthy weight
• BMI 25-29.9: Overweight
• BMI 30-34.9: Obesity
• BMI 35 or higher: Extremely obese

Children’s BMI Results

For children, BMI is interpreted differently.

While the calculation is the same as for adults, the age and sex of the child are also taken into account. Instead of set ranges (as shown in the BMI Categories above), children’s BMI uses percentiles to assign whether a BMI is within a healthy range according to height, weight, age and sex.

By comparing the values to other children of the same age and sex, an overweight BMI means it is higher than average for a child of their age and sex.

Limitations of BMI

BMI is a simplistic calculation dependent on weight and height only. Therefore it does not take into account many factors, such as, muscle and bone mass. While widely used and respected, the medical community generally acknowledges these shortcomings.

Individuals who may be given an inaccurate BMI are athletes, children, the elderly, the infirm and naturally endomorphic or ectomorphic people ( people who do not have a medium frame).

According to their BMI, children and the elderly tend to be “underweight” because of the differences in bone density. To factor in the proportion of bone to total weight, their BMI should be adjusted downward or the use of a special scale for determining BMI (as described in Children’s BMI Results above).

Athletes tend to be “overweight” or “obese” according to their BMI. Because muscle weighs more than fat, a modified version is sometimes used to adjust the ranges upward. Alternatively, there are better methods for determining the body composition of athletes. For instance, body fat can be calculated using techniques, such skinfold measurements or underwater weighing.

Other BMI inaccuracies can occur. For instance, a tall person with a small frame and excess fat around the waist may show a normal BMI. Therefore, if you have any questions about your results, consult your doctor who may want to employ another measuring device to double-check your findings.

How does the eDiet program work?

eDiets claims to help you find the perfect personalized diet plan. They offer a range of diet plans, food options and support services to help you achieve your goals. You begin the program with an online assessment which helps you select from suitable diet plans, support service options and fitness exercises.

It is an online service so you can access help and support 24/7, 365 days a week.

eDiets has been in business a long time. Numerous personal and professional testimonials testify to their success, expertise and knowledge. They spend a lot of time and money on ensuring you get the latest proven techniques to help you achieve your goals.

What diets are covered?

eDiets offer a choice of over 22 fully supported diet plans including:

• eDiets Weight Loss Diet
• eDiets Meal Delivery Plan specifically for use with alli®
• Seasonal Diet
• Glycemic Diet™
• Mediterranean Diet™
• Bill Phillips’ Eating for Life™
• Slim Fast Optima™ Diet
• Wheat-free Meal Plan
• Low-Fat Plan
• Living with Diabetes Plan
• Heart Smart Plan
• Cholesterol Lowering Plan
• High-Fiber Plan
• Hypoglycemic/Low-Sugar Plan
• Healthy Soy Plan
• Vegetarian Plan
• Lactose-Free Plan

The free online profile questionnaire will help you narrow your selection to the top (or up to 3 top) plans based on your lifestyle and diet preferences. It will also calculate your BMI and daily calorie guide.

(Note: Zip/postal codes outside Canada and U.S. are not accepted in the profile questionnaire – at the time of this review.)

What food options are available?

Foods depend entirely on your preferences and which diet plan you decide to follow.

An option available to members is have freshly prepared meals delivered to your door. Each meal is prepared by chefs and made-to-order in the right portions for you. Epicurious.com, the premier award-winning food website, rated eDiet’s meal delivery service as #1 for Best Taste & Nutrition. Judged on flavor, nutrition, portion size, convenience, variety, and customer service & support tools, it earned 3 out of 4 stars.

Top Marks

• A free profile questionnaire. I would recommend taking the quiz even if you’re not thinking about using eDiets.
• Choice of how to get your food with personalized menus and print-and-go shopping lists through the “Recipes Club” for those who like to cook or “eDiet Fresh Prepared Meals Delivery” for those without the time or inclination to cook.
• All diet plans include a free fitness plan based on your fitness level and goals. And video demonstrations of the fitness exercises assigned to you are available online.
• Support is available through email, live chat or individual phone consultations with an expert, in addition to online support boards with peer support. Support is offered for nutrition with dieticians, new members and motivation.
• Professional high quality articles, content and recipes updated regularly by paid health and nutrition professionals. There are a lot of options for how you like to receive information about your diet including emails or podcasts.
• Men’s section.
• Numerous testimonials and awards for their services including Forbes voting it as best of the web in the nutrition and diet category.

Potential Problems

• While you do get a lot for your money, eDiets costs $4.49 per week, which is taken as a monthly payment. The price is the same no matter what diet you choose. It includes all their services (except the Fresh Prepared Meals Delivery) and now includes the fitness plan which used to be extra.
• A local gym would generally freely offer a lot of the same diet and exercise consultations along with access to their equipment and facilities in their membership fees.

Will I lose weight?

Weight loss plans appear to fall within the healthy guidelines of losing 1-2 lbs/week.

I was encouraged when I entered wanting to lose 50+lbs and my “perfect plan” claimed I could lose 10 lbs within the next 5 weeks. Of course, how much weight loss you can achieve depends entirely upon how closely you follow your diet and exercise program.

How to Get Started

Begin using eDiets by clicking this link:

Use Promo Code SAVE25 to Save 25% at eDiets!

Disclaimer: The “typical” visitor will not change their behavior as a result of reading or purchasing any products. Resulting in no weight loss. A few may read the material and not act on it. And a small minority will read and follow the program. This small minority actually has a chance of losing weight. Be different. Take action.