The BMI is calculated by dividing a person’s body weight in kilograms by the square of his height in meters (kg/m2). First named after the Belgian astronomer, mathematician, and statistician Adolphe Quetelet, who demonstrated in 1835 how adult weight normally increases in proportion to height squared, the index provides a measure of body weight, independent of stature, allowing us to compare the weight of short and tall people.
体重指数的计算是用某人的体重（以公斤为单位）除以其身高（以米为单位）的平方（kg/m2）。该指数最初以比利时天文学家、数学家兼统计学家凯特勒的名字命名，1835年凯特勒证明了正常状况下成年人的体重随身高的平方成比例递增。卡特勒指数提供了不受身材影响的体重测量方法，让我们能够比较矮个者和高个者的体重。