Terms of Use

What these tools are

The calculators implement published formulas — BMI, Mifflin-St Jeor, the US Navy body-fat method and others. They are screening and estimation tools built for general populations. They cannot account for your medical history, medication, pregnancy, body composition or anything else specific to you.

Several of the formulas were originally developed for purposes other than personal health assessment — ideal body weight equations, for instance, were built for calculating medication doses. Where that is the case, the relevant page says so.

Accuracy

We take accuracy seriously: formulas live in one tested module, and worked examples in the text are verified against the calculators automatically. Even so, estimates carry real error — tape-based body-fat methods are typically within three to four percentage points of a DEXA scan, and can be further out for an individual. Results are provided without warranty of accuracy, completeness or fitness for any particular purpose.

Acceptable use

You may use this site freely for personal, informational purposes, and you may link to it. Do not use it in a way that interferes with its operation or with the use of it by others, and do not present its output as a clinical assessment.

Limitation of liability

To the fullest extent permitted by law, we are not liable for any loss or harm arising from decisions made on the basis of information or calculations on this site. Decisions about your health should be made with a qualified professional.

External links

Where we reference other organisations or research, we do not control that content and are not responsible for it.

Changes

These terms may be updated; the date above reflects the last change. Continued use after a change means you accept the revised terms. Questions go to the contact page.