How Important is Body Mass Index (BMI)?

We’ve all heard of Body Mass Index (BMI), but how important is that number? Is it a legitimate indicator of our health? Read on to find out what BMI is all about.

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What is BMI?

BMI stands for Body Mass Index. It is a tool used to help determine if an adult 20 years of age or older is at a healthy weight.

BMI is calculated by your weight in kilograms divided by your height squared in meters. Or, if you live in the US like me, you would use weight in pounds x 703 divided by height squared (in inches). But of course, you can always use a BMI calculator.

Adult Body Mass Index Categories

Here is the breakdown of weight categories according to the World Health Organization (other than Asian-Pacific):

• Underweight= 18.5 or less
• Normal weight= 18.5-24.9
• Overweight= 25-29.9
• Obese= 30-39.9
• Morbid obesity= 40 or greater

Here is the Asian-Pacific BMI breakdown:

• Underweight= 18.5 or less
• Normal weight= 18.5-22.9
• Overweight= 23-24.9
• Obese= 25-29.9
• Morbid obesity= 30 or greater

Child/Adolescent Body Mass Index Categories

Children and adolescents between the ages of 2 and 20 years old use a different BMI calculator than adults.

For children and adolescents, a percentage is used to figure out the weight category.

When age is used to find a child or adolescent’s BMI, that number is compared with others in the same gender and age group.

Is BMI an Accurate Measure of Overall Health?

A few years ago, the concern about being in the “normal weight” category started to die down because there are problems with only using weight and height to determine if someone is at a healthy weight.

It only calculates your size and doesn’t take into account your health risks.

BMI is also not an indicator of how healthy a person is. It measures excess weight on a person and not excess fat.

People with a BMI on the higher side can be perfectly healthy and vice versa, people with a lower BMI can be unhealthy. Too much emphasis is based on the number and not on overall health.

“As in previous studies, a high BMI was associated with a lower risk of death. But researchers found that heart patients with a high ratio of waist-to-hip circumference or a large waist size — greater than 35 inches for women, or 40 inches for men — were 70 percent more likely to die during the study period than those with smaller waists. The combination of a large waist and a high BMI upped the risk of death even more.”

-CNN

Studies have found that people on the higher side of normal weight and even mildly obese on the BMI chart live longer on average.

Muscle Mass and BMI

BMI is not an accurate measure of health in a lot of people, particularly in people with a lot of muscle mass because muscle weighs more than fat. Highly muscular adults are most likely classified as overweight, or even obese due to their muscle weight.

Do Doctors Still Go By BMI for Overall Health?

Doctors and health care professionals take many factors into account when looking at overall health risk factors such as:

• Gender
• Age
• Ethnicity
• Fat distribution
• Environmental factors
• Genetics
• Activity level

Healthcare professionals might use BMI as a starting point, but most don’t rely solely on that number to determine if someone is or isn’t at a healthy weight.

Related: 5 Simple Exercises For People Who Hate Exercise

Final Thoughts

BMI is not used as the only way to determine if someone is healthy. The category someone falls into can be a starting point, but just looking at the number alone isn’t a diagnosis of someone being underweight, normal weight, overweight, or obese. There are much better ways of figuring out your health than a simple number from a BMI chart.

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