the BMI normogram

[GingerSue]

trying to understand how to read the BMI normogram?

I have a BMI normogram with vertical lines for height and

horizontal lines for weight

So to figure my own, I look at the vertical line, then the horizontal line, and the point where they cross. Then look at the diagnonal lines on the chart - the closest one seems to be 19. But there is a line between diagonal line 18 and diagonal line 19 that has one of those circles (with number 115 inside of it) - it is the lowest circle on the normogram - the other circles have 25, 30, 35, 40

Why is the diagonal line labelled 115? Is this a typo? What is this line for?

Earlier in the book it says that BMI is calculated by dividing the person's weight (in kilograms) by their height (in metres squared). How does this arrive at a BMI?

My weight is 110 lbs and my height is 64 inches.

So am I to divide 50 kg/1.625 m squared?

Not sure how to read the normogram,

how to use that one diagonal line labelled 115,

or how to calculate according to the instructions in the book.

thanks

[Mommy TeleRN, RN]

64cm *2.54 cm/in = 162.56 inches/12 = 13.5ft. You are REALLY tall

[Mommy TeleRN, RN]

Here is a link to one similar to what I use at work:

http://www.pamf.org/images/heartadvantage/bmitable.gif

[GingerSue]

64cm *2.54 cm/in = 162.56 inches/12 = 13.5ft. You are REALLY tall

oops (I'm laughing too much to get this right)

try again: 64 inches tall - (no I'm not 13.5 ft tall)

one inch = 2.5 cm

so 64 x 2.54 = 162.56 cm (not 162.56 feet)

50 kg/1.63 m squared

50/ 2.66 m squared = 18.79 (approximately, well the chart shows 18)

[GingerSue]

Here is a link to one similar to what I use at work:

http://www.pamf.org/images/heartadvantage/bmitable.gif

thanks for the link, it doesn't have the diagonal lines that are included in the one that I have

[Mommy TeleRN, RN]

Yep that sounds much closer :) The chart I linked to shows the BMI as 19 for 5'4" and 110 lbs. Another one I like to use:

http://www.nhlbisupport.com/bmi/

This shows you to be 18.9 which matches up to the calculations I came up with:

50kg/2.64 (64*2.54=162.56/100=1.6256squared=2.64257536m) = 18.9 rounded to nearest tenth

I think the other you have has a typo. I'd have to see it to understand it as I am not familiar with one with a diagonal component.

Edit: I found one with diagonal lines... it's pretty cool. You put in your h/w and it draws you a little dot on the page. The numbers in circles on this one show you the various categories ie underweight, normal, overweight, and various classes of obesity. Pretty nifty:

http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/fn-an/nutrition/weights-poids/guide-ld-adult/bmi_chart_java-graph_imc_java_e.html

[GingerSue]

thanks again

the link has the same chart that's in my book

that circle with 115 looks like it really is 18.5 (I'm using a magnifying glass to read the numbers in that circle)

Probably my book has 18.5 as well (not 115) - that's what it looks like using the magnifying glass

18.5 makes more sense

small print!