You might have heard of BMI, or Body Mass Index.
It’s a quick way to check if your weight is healthy compared to your height. You just put your weight and height into an online calculator, and it gives you a number.
Then, a chart tells you if you’re underweight, just right, or overweight. Sounds easy, right?
But there’s a problem.
The American Medical Association (AMA) says doctors shouldn’t only use BMI to figure out if someone is too heavy.
One big reason is that BMI was originally designed based on white men. So, it may not work well for people of different races, ethnic backgrounds, or genders.
Wajahat Mehal, an expert from Yale University, says BMI is just one part of understanding someone’s health.
We should also look at things like blood pressure and cholesterol levels. The AMA agrees. It’s suggesting, not forcing, doctors to use other ways to measure health too. But BMI is not going away; doctors and patients can still use it if they want.
So What Is BMI, Really?
To get your BMI, you divide your weight by your height squared, and then multiply by 703. It sounds complicated, but there are calculators online that do it for you.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) even has special calculators for adults and kids. But remember, BMI doesn’t say anything about illnesses you could get like high blood pressure or diabetes.
Why Do People Say BMI Is Not Perfect?
- Muscle vs. Fat: A super-fit athlete and someone who is not fit could have the same BMI. That’s because BMI doesn’t know the difference between muscle and fat.
- Different Bodies: BMI was designed 200 years ago, based on European men. It doesn’t consider how people from different backgrounds might have different health risks.
- Doesn’t Fit All Ages: The BMI can be misleading for older adults or those who are not active.
What’s a Better Way to Know If You’re Healthy?
Mehal says that BMI can still be a helpful clue, but it shouldn’t be the only thing you look at. The AMA also recommends using other health measures. For example, you could measure around your waist. More fat in the belly area can mean a higher chance of heart disease and diabetes.
If you’re a man with a waist bigger than 40 inches or a woman with a waist bigger than 35 inches, you might have a higher risk of health issues, even if your BMI says you’re okay.
In the end, if you’re worried about your weight or health, it’s best to see a doctor for a full check-up. They can look at many different things to tell you how healthy you really are.
So the next time you check your BMI, remember it’s just one piece of the puzzle.
If you care about weight loss, please read studies about the keto diet for weight loss: Pros and cons, and how to drink water to lose weight.
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Source: Yale University.
