How would a clinician classify a patient who is 5 feet tall and weighs 150 pounds?

To classify the patient’s weight status accurately, one must calculate the Body Mass Index (BMI), which is a common metric used to determine weight categories based on height and weight. For this patient, who is 5 feet tall and weighs 150 pounds, we need to first convert the height into inches (5 feet = 60 inches) and then apply the BMI formula, which is weight in pounds divided by height in inches squared, multiplied by 703.

Using the formula:

BMI = (weight / (height x height)) x 703

BMI = (150 / (60 x 60)) x 703

BMI = (150 / 3600) x 703

BMI = 0.04167 x 703

BMI ≈ 29.3

Based on BMI classifications, a BMI of 29.3 places this patient in the category of mild obesity, typically defined as a BMI between 30 and 34.9. Therefore, the classification of mild obesity is appropriate because while the patient's weight is above the normal range (with a BMI over 25), it does not reach the thresholds for moderate obesity, which starts at a BMI of 35, or for morbid obesity, which is categorized at