A nurse is calculating the BMI of a client who has a weight of 75 kg (165.3 lb) and a height of 1.8 m (5 ft 9 in). Which of the following values should the nurse calculate as the client's BMI?
Explanation & Rationale
Rationale: A. 42: A BMI of 42 falls in the category of class III (severe) obesity. This would only occur if the client's weight were significantly higher than 75 kg for a height of 1.8 m. B. 28: A BMI of 28 indicates overweight status. At 75 kg and 1.8 m tall, the client does not meet the weight requirement for a BMI this high, as 28 would correspond to a weight closer to 91 kg. C. 32: A BMI of 32 falls in the obesity range. For someone who is 1.8 m tall, a BMI of 32 would require a weight of about 104 kg, which is much higher than the client’s actual weight of 75 kg. D. 24: The BMI is calculated as weight (kg) divided by height (m²). Using the formula: BMI = 75 / (1.8 × 1.8) = 75 / 3.24 ≈ 23.15, which rounds to 24, placing the client in the normal weight range.