Can BMI be misleading?

Body Mass Index or BMI is based on the weight and height of an individual and does not  take into account the density of bones, amount of muscle mass versus fat, or overall body composition

 

Typically, you are in the normal range if your BMI score is between 18,5 and 25 -if you want to find out your exact BMI score, please see our BMI calculator here

 

Considering the flaws of the BMI calculation, should the tool then be abolished?

 

Well, your BMI is only part of the process, and to further elaborate, imagine the following example:

A bodybuilder with a high amount of muscle may receive a score indicating obesity when measuring BMI score, due to the simple fact that the calculation does not take into account that his or her disproportionate weight when paired with height, is due to muscle and not fat… Whereas an obese person may score in the normal segment if they have very little muscle but a high portion of fat.

 

However, BMI is perfect for individuals if used as a first assessment and a little honesty

 

Of course, this means that the bodybuilder should realize that he or she is deemed “obese” due to massive amounts of dense tissue, whilst the obese person shouldn’t rest assured they’re within the normal range if a look in the mirror displays thin legs, a protruded belly and exceeding amount of fat around the belly and chest

 

Also, certain ethnic groups such as people from the Pacific, Chinese, Aboriginal people, South Asians, and Japanese should not fully rely on the BMI index due to genetic factors governing the fat -to muscle proportions

 

As such, the BMI score is a way for you to determine if you fit in the normal range or not and should be followed by a trip to the doctor who can include factors such as sex, gender, genetics, overall fitness, diseases, and other parameters in order to conclude with the best way forward for each and every individual

Why it is still critical to assess BMI

According to medical professionals, the BMI tool is excellent at scanning large groups of people with the aims of highlighting the risk of cancer, diabetes, stroke, obesity, and lifestyle diseases. In effect, they are pointing to the fact that the Body Mass Index is an excellent predictor of the expected health development in larger groups of people, but that the data are not necessarily correct when it comes to individual readings

 

Obese people, or individuals scoring 30 or higher on the BMI scale, are significantly more prone to developing cancer, becoming diabetic, and developing cardiovascular problems – again resulting in an increased risk of premature death, together with a vast number of other negative health conditions:

• Type 2 diabetes
• High blood pressure
• Heart disease and strokes
• Specific strains of cancer
• Sleep apnea
• Osteoarthritis (due to heavy load on joints)
• Fatty liver 
• Kidney disease
• Pregnancy issues, such as high blood sugar, high blood pressure, and increased risk for C-section

What everyone with a high BMI should do

Measure your waistline!

According to the Medical Research Council, waist circumference is strongly and independently associated with type two diabetes risk together with a range of other lifestyle diseases, further supported by a study from the RAND corporation pointing to waist size being a more accurate indicator of type 2 diabetes, not BMI 

 

The above sounds perfectly rational of course because fat tends to allocate in the abdominal area – and accordingly, you should always measure your waist after having determined your BMI score. Excess fat around the middle is more dangerous than fat on the thighs and hips, as visceral fat tends to protrude the inner organs, resulting in them sometimes being dislocated but perhaps more often resulting in them being protruded to the stage that they eventually start  malfunctioning

Circumference of waist and risk of disease

Below are the circumference thresholds that may indicate an increased risk of disease linked with obesity:

Women

Increased risk if 80 cm/ 31,5 inches

Greatly increased risk if 88cm/ 34,6 inches

 

Men

Increased risk if 94 cm/ 37 inches

Greatly increased risk if 102cm/ 40,15 inches

And there you go… BMI should always be paired with a measurement of the waist in order to gain a more precise indication of health, and remember: the BMI tool placed you within a range based on median ranges in the population, and in the end, it is only you, the mirror and your doctor that can assess if you are overweight or not