Real-Life Math -- Solution
You're a physician assistant talking to a patient about her
weight problem. You calculate her BMI.
BMI = weight in kilograms
/ (height in meters)2
First, you must convert her measurements
to metric:
Weight = 155 pounds x 0.45 pounds per kilogram
Weight
= 70 kg
Height = (61 inches x 2.54 centimeters per inch) / 100
centimeters per meter
Height = 155 cm / 100 cm per m
Height
= 1.55 m
So what is her BMI?
BMI = 70 kg / (1.55 m)2
BMI
= 70 kg / 2.40 m2
BMI = 29.17
Sarah's BMI is
29.2. She falls into the overweight category.
Physician assistants
use "basic math skills" in their job, says Ian Jones. He's a PA and a professor
in a PA program.
"You have to have good solid math skills,
I would say," says Jones. "But you're better off [focusing on] your anatomy
and physiology."