OCR General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) Biology Practice Exam

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What is the correct formula to calculate Body Mass Index (BMI)?

Weight (kg) divided by height (m)
Body mass (kg) divided by [Height (m)]^2
Height (m) divided by body mass (kg)
Body mass (kg) multiplied by height (m)

The correct answer is: Body mass (kg) divided by [Height (m)]^2

Body Mass Index (BMI) is a widely recognized method for assessing whether a person has a healthy body weight for a given height. The formula for calculating BMI is to take the person's weight in kilograms and divide it by their height in meters squared. This can be expressed mathematically as: BMI = Weight (kg) / [Height (m)]^2 This method is effective because it provides a numerical value that can be used to categorize individuals into different weight status classifications, such as underweight, normal weight, overweight, or obese based on the BMI value. By squaring the height in meters, the formula accounts for the relationship between weight and height more accurately than a simple division of weight by height, which would skew results in individuals who are significantly taller or shorter. In other formulas suggested, dividing weight by height alone or multiplying weight by height does not appropriately reflect the relationship between weight and height necessary to assess body composition effectively. The squaring of height is essential in the BMI formula to ensure that BMI increases with weight more significantly than it would with mere increases in height.