BMI – there’s no doubt you would have come across this acronym before. For many years, this figure was used to determine a person’s level of health. But it’s not as simple as that and doesn’t take into account all the other variables of being a human. So it’s no surprise that it continues to be criticised in the health industry. But before we get into that, we’re doing a deep-dive into BMI and everything you need to know about it.
What is BMI?
Formally known as your body max index, it is a measurement that indicates a person’s body fat percentage. This figure is then used to determine if you are underweight, overweight or obese.
While it’s no secret that keeping a healthy body weight is important, there have been numerous studies, including one from the British Journal of Sports Medicine that actually determined staying fit was a far better way to determine someone’s health. It summarised that being out of shapes doubles or sometimes triples that chance of premature death, completely dismissing the BMI figure.
How do you calculate your BMI
To calculate, you need to know two figures: your height and your weight. Take your body weight in kgs and divide it by your height in metres squared. There are also BMI calculators online you can use or you can ask your doctor.
What is a normal BMI?
According to the World Health Organisation, there are the figures you can look at to quickly and easily determine where you stand in terms of your weight levels. These are:
- Underweight: BMI is less than 18.5
- Healthy weight: BMI is between 18.5 and 24.9
- Overweight: BMI is between 25 and 29.9
- Obese: BMI is 30 or higher
- Severely obese: BMI is 40 or higher
Issues with looking at your BMI
The problem with using just your BMI to determine your body fat percentage is you’re not looking at the full picture. It’s not taking into account someone’s fitness levels, fitness goals, health conditions, nor does it differentiate between muscle and fat.
“While it’s true that fatter people typically have a higher BMI, it does not work well as a diagnostic criterion. One of the main problems with BMI is that it can’t distinguish between muscle and fat. This is important because excess body fat is a good predictor of heart disease risk. BMI is not,” says Senior Lecturer in Mathematical Biology, University of Bath Christian Yates.
So while BMI is a good way of looking at your body fat from a general perspective, it’s important that this one figure is not the be-all and end-all. When it comes to health, Siddhartha Angadi, an exercise physiologist at the University of Virginia says “It’s much more important, all things considered, to focus on the fitness aspect… rather than the fatness aspect.”
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This article provides general information. For customised medical support, please seek the advice of your GP or healthcare professional.
