FACTBOX-Body mass index measures obesity

(Reuters) - Obesity rates are up in most states and fewer people are exercising, according to a U.S. survey published on Monday.

Body mass index, or BMI, is used to measure obesity and it is a simple weight-to-height calculation.

It is calculated by dividing weight in kilograms by height in meters squared, or by multiplying weight in pounds by 703 and dividing it by height in inches squared.

A person 65 inches (165 cm) tall, or 5 feet 5 inches, has a BMI of 25 and is overweight at 150 pounds (68 kilograms). The same person would be obese, with a BMI of 40, at 180 pounds (81.6 kilograms).

At 6 feet, or 72 inches (182.9 cm), a person has a BMI of 30 at 221 pounds (100 kg) and a BMI of 25 at 184 pounds (83.5 kg).

The National Institutes of Health has an online BMI calculator at www.nhlbisupport.com/bmi/.