BMI Calculator - Adlam Numerals
Calculate your Body Mass Index (BMI) to assess if you are underweight, normal weight, overweight, or obese based on your height and weight with Adlam numeral system support.
Body Mass Index (BMI) is a widely used screening tool that estimates whether your weight is healthy relative to your height. It takes seconds to calculate and requires no equipment beyond a scale and a tape measure. While BMI does not directly measure body fat, it correlates well with body fatness for most adults and is used by the World Health Organization as a standard health indicator. This calculator supports both metric and imperial units and classifies your result using WHO categories.
About This Numeral System
Adlam numerals (U0001e950 through U0001e959) are the digits of the Adlam script, created in 1989 by two Guinean brothers, Ibrahima and Abdoulaye Barry, as a writing system for Fulani (Fula) — a Niger-Congo language spoken by roughly 25 million people across West Africa, including Guinea, Nigeria, Senegal, Mali, and Cameroon. The name “Adlam” is an acronym from the first four letters of the script, standing for “Alkule Dandayɗe Leñol Mulugol” — “the alphabet that prevents peoples from vanishing.” Adlam is written right-to-left and was added to Unicode in 2016. This calculator displays results in Adlam numerals for users who read and write in Fulani using the Adlam script.
How This Calculator Works
BMI Formula: BMI = weight (kg) / height² (m²)
Body Mass Index is calculated by dividing weight in kilograms by the square of height in metres. The result is classified using WHO standard categories: underweight (<18.5), normal weight (18.5 to 24.9), overweight (25 to 29.9), and obese (30 or above). For imperial units, the formula is BMI = 703 × weight (lbs) / height² (in²).
Worked Examples
Input: Weight: 70 kg, Height: 175 cm
Result: BMI = 70 / (1.75)² = 22.86 — Normal weight (18.5 to 24.9)
Input: Weight: 180 lbs, Height: 5 ft 10 in
Result: BMI = 703 × 180 / (70)² = 25.82 — Overweight (25 to 29.9)
Key Features
- Metric (kg/cm) and imperial (lbs/ft/in) units
- WHO standard BMI categories
- Health risk indicators
- Support for multiple numeral systems
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the formula for BMI?
BMI is calculated as weight in kilograms divided by height in meters squared: BMI = kg / m². For imperial units, the formula is BMI = (lbs × 703) / inches². For example, someone who is 70 inches tall and weighs 160 lbs has a BMI of (160 × 703) / (70 × 70) = 22.9. A BMI between 18.5 and 24.9 is considered normal weight. This calculator handles both metric and imperial units automatically.
Why does BMI overestimate body fat in athletes but underestimate it in older adults?
BMI cannot distinguish between muscle and fat. Muscle is denser than fat, so a muscular athlete can weigh enough to register as "overweight" despite having low body fat. Conversely, older adults lose muscle mass with age — their weight may look normal on the BMI scale while they have a higher-than-healthy body fat percentage. This is why BMI is a screening tool, not a diagnostic one. For a true body composition reading, methods like DEXA scans, bioelectrical impedance, or skinfold calipers are needed.
Why do some countries use different BMI cutoffs for Asian populations?
Research shows that health risks begin at a lower BMI for people of South Asian, Chinese, and Japanese descent. The WHO recommends a modified scale for Asian populations: overweight starts at 23 (not 25), and obese starts at 27.5 (not 30). This is because Asian populations tend to accumulate visceral fat — the dangerous fat around organs — at lower body weights than European populations. India, Japan, and Singapore have all adopted these lower thresholds in their national health guidelines.
What is the difference between BMI and body fat percentage — and which matters more?
BMI is a height-to-weight ratio that estimates whether your weight is appropriate. Body fat percentage directly measures what portion of your body is fat versus lean tissue. Body fat percentage is the more accurate health indicator, but it requires equipment (calipers, scales, or scans) to measure. BMI is useful because it needs only a scale and tape measure. If your BMI is in the normal range but you feel you carry excess fat, ask your doctor about a body composition test rather than relying on BMI alone.
Does the BMI calculator support imperial units?
Yes. You can switch between metric (kg/cm) and imperial (lbs/inches/feet) units at any time. The calculator applies the correct formula for each system — 703 × weight(lbs) / height(inches)² for imperial, and weight(kg) / height(m)² for metric. The BMI category result is identical regardless of which unit system you use.
How is Adlam different from other scripts created in modern times?
Adlam is one of the few scripts intentionally created in the 20th century that has gained real adoption. Unlike Ol Chiki (created 1925 for Santali in India), Adlam was created in 1989 for Fulani in West Africa. Both scripts were designed to serve languages that lacked a dedicated writing system, but Adlam is written right-to-left (like Arabic) while Ol Chiki is written left-to-right. Adlam was added to Unicode in 2016, making it one of the newest scripts in the Unicode standard.
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BMI categories follow World Health Organization (WHO) classifications. BMI is a screening tool and does not account for muscle mass, bone density, or body composition. Results should be interpreted alongside other health metrics.
Last reviewed: 2026-09-30