BMI accounts for height, which is an important factor when determining a healthy weight for an individual. Rather, it was to be used as a method for analyzing population information and drawing conclusions about access to resources and health for a larger data pool. While Quetelet may not have been a doctor, he was a statistician and sociologist, and he insisted that the data collected for different BMI categories was not an accurate representation of an individual person’s health and fitness. Here are just a few of the reasons that BMI can be misleading, and how you can adjust your healthcare plan to better fit your needs. Can BMI be misleading?ĭespite its ubiquity, the BMI index has faced criticism as a tool for measuring body fat and determining wellness. According to the guideline, the categorization can be used to provide more informed diagnoses and better healthcare support and guidance. It works like this: Once your body mass index is measured based on height and weight, you’re categorized into one of four quadrants - underweight, normal weight, overweight, and obese. Since the 1980s, it’s been used by international organizations like the World Health Organization (WHO) as a standard for measuring obesity worldwide. The BMI formula was introduced in the 19th century by a mathematician and sociologist named Lambert Adolphe Jacques Quetelet, and it was initially designed for use in larger population studies and to determine the rate of obesity in prosperous western regions.
The healthy BMI range varies more for children and adolescents, as they grow at different rates, but the range is consistent for adult BMI measurements. Simply put, BMI value measures the level of body fat a person has based on their height and weight. While BMI was a useful tool for providing health information in the past, there are several things to keep in mind when you measure your body weight and discuss weight loss options with your healthcare provider. These factors go well beyond the ratio of body fat to height and may include genetics, ethnicity, family history, and a whole lot more. Always check with your doctor if you are concerned about your weight.But anyone who has struggled on their weight loss or weight gain journey knows that there are many factors involved in determining our weight. For Pacific Islanders, including Maori and Torres Strait Islanders, higher BMI cut-off values may be considered. Similarly, for Asian people, cut-off points for health risks appear to be lower than for people of European descent. This is due to their relatively long legs in relation to weight, which is a factor known to influence BMI. Lower BMI cut-offs may be considered for Aboriginal people, whose healthy BMI range may be different from that for people of European descent. Your doctor can advise you whether you are truly underweight.īMI measures may not be suitable for all population groups. An elite sportsperson may have a high muscle mass, and a BMI above 25, but not be carrying excess body fat.
coronary heart disease and heart attack.Being overweight or obese increases your risk of several health problems, including:
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