Body mass index (BMI) is a measure of body fat based on height and weight that applies to adult men and women. BMI was first introduced to the scientific community by Adolphe Quetelet, a Belgian astronomer, mathematician, statistician, demographer, and sociologist in 1832.
BMI is used to measure body fat because it is a simple and inexpensive way to estimate the amount of body fat a person has. BMI is also a good predictor of health risks associated with obesity, such as heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, and some types of cancer.