For decades, people have been told that body mass index (BMI) is the most effective technique for measuring a person’s body fat. But this is not true! BMI can be a helpful health measure for large groups of people, but it will not give an accurate individual health index.
Introduced in the 1830s by a Belgian statistician who wanted to quantitatively describe the ‘average man’, the calculation was named body mass index and popularized in the 1970s by Minnesota physiologist Ansel Keyes. it was done. Dr. Keys wanted to prove to life insurance companies that the assessment of people’s body fat and their risk of dying cannot be determined by comparing their weight with the average weight of other people of similar height, age and gender. Through an extensive study, he and his colleagues showed that BMI was a more accurate – and far simpler – predictor of body fat. It has become the most popular technique for measuring body fat. but this technology
Cheating enough.
How is BMI calculated?
Take your weight (kg) and divide it by the square of your height (m). The result is to divide your body weight into four main categories – underweight (BMI less than 18.5 kg/m2), normal weight (18.5 to 22.9 kg/m2), overweight (23 to 24.9 kg/m2). 2), and fat (25 kg / m2 or more). People around the world, thin and overweight alike, are struggling
Achieve a ‘perfect’ BMI.
Should BMI be a measure of health?
BMI cannot tell what percentage of a person’s weight is from their fat, muscle, or bone. The way BMI is calculated leaves no room for the relative proportions of bone, muscle, and fat in the body. This explains why muscular athletes often have higher BMIs despite having less body fat. And as people age, it’s common to lose muscle and bone mass, but also belly fat, a change in body composition that would be related to health, but may go unnoticed if it occurs in a person’s body. Does not change BMI. This measure also does a poor job of predicting a person’s metabolic health. For example, in 2016, a study was conducted in the US to understand the relationship between BMI and metabolic health. In this study it was found that the measurement of a person
BMI does not consider a person’s metabolic health. The study, including 40,000 adults in the US, was found to be ‘overweight’ as researchers calculated their BMI after taking into account their insulin resistance, markers of inflammation and blood pressure, cholesterol and glucose levels. A quarter of those classified as obese were metabolically healthy by these measures. However, 31%
People with ‘normal’ body mass were metabolically unhealthy.
So, if BMI isn’t accurate, what is?
Don’t get bogged down in the concept of fatphobia. Instead of counting body fat, people should check their blood sugar levels, triglyceride and blood pressure to ensure a healthy lifestyle and body. Instead of focusing on your weight, focus on how you feel when doing physical activities. If you know someone who is struggling with body image issues, reach out to them and explain to them that a healthy lifestyle is what matters. BMI does not determine one’s physical health. It is a healthy lifestyle that will determine your overall health and well being.
This article is written by Rasika Parab, Clinical Nutritionist, Fortis Hospital Mulund and Dr. Sanjay Shah, General Physician, Fortis Hospital, Mulund.
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