Hello and welcome to the programme. My name is Professor Sebastian W. Ellington, and I am a researcher in population health analytics and metabolic risk modelling at the University of Edinburgh. Much of my work focuses on how digital health tools can help individuals understand early warning signs related to weight, metabolism and cardiovascular risk.

One of the most commonly used indicators in this area is Body Mass Index, widely known as BMI. Today, millions of people use an online BMI calculator to quickly estimate whether their body weight falls within a healthy range. The formula itself is simple: body weight divided by the square of height. Yet interpreting that numb ...