Why doctors should stop using BMI?

Because muscle weighs more than fat, people with more muscle mass weigh more. This increases their BMI, often landing them in the overweight or obese range, when, in fact, they may be healthier than those with less muscle and lower BMIs. BMI also doesn't account for the impact that age, gender or body frame may have.

Why should we stop using BMI?

BMI (body mass index), which is based on the height and weight of a person, is an inaccurate measure of body fat content and does not take into account muscle mass, bone density, overall body composition, and racial and sex differences, say researchers from the Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania.

Should we stop using BMI measurements?

A new study shows that 54 million Americans whose BMI classes them as overweight and obese are in perfect health according to cardiometabolic measures, while 21 million whose BMI puts them in the normal category are unhealthy.

Why do doctors use BMI if it's inaccurate?

“It's two numbers — weight and height — so anyone can get their [BMI] number without training,” she says. And because it's so quick, cheap, and anyone can do it, it's an obvious choice for researchers on the hunt for data.

What is the downside of only using BMI?

Although BMI can be used for most men and women, it does have some limits: It may overestimate body fat in athletes and others who have a muscular build. It may underestimate body fat in older persons and others who have lost muscle.

What BMI doesn't tell you about your health

What are the flaws with BMI?

BMI in the traditional sense is used as a measure for health risk. It cannot, however, provide an indication of someone's health habits. BMI does not tell you what someone eats, how they move their body, the quality of their sleep, or their stress levels — all things that influence health.

When should BMI not be used?

Height – BMI is not totally independent of height and it tends to overestimate obesity among shorter people and underestimate it among taller people. Therefore, BMI should not be used as a guide for adults who are very short (less than 150 cm) or very tall (more than 190 cm).

Is there a better tool than BMI?

Scientists say waist-to-hip ratio better measure for healthy weight than BMI.

What is a better indicator than BMI?

Overall, no matter what you use instead of BMI , “body fat percentage tends to be a much better indicator of health status and health risk than BMI,” says Dugas. Research shows that waist circumference, for example, can often tell you more about your risk of high blood pressure and high blood sugar than BMI.

Why do we say goodbye to BMI?

We active folk tend to have a higher proportion of muscle tissue, which by nature is denser than fat tissue. That means we sometimes see big numbers on the scale even if we have relatively low body fat. BMI also says nothing about how your fat is distributed.

Is BMI the only way to determine obesity?

Estimations of body fat beyond BMI include measurements with calipers and waist-to-hip ratio measurements. However inaccurate, BMI is the most convenient way to classify body fat mass and obesity. There are, on the other hand, better methods to measure whole body fat levels.

Can you trust the BMI?

As most of us fitness-focused folks have likely heard, BMI is far from a perfect measurement. Much of the time, and often when it really counts, the BMI measurement may actually overestimate or even underestimate a person's body fat. And when it does, it really does.

Do medical professionals still use BMI?

Researchers in population studies, doctors, personal trainers, and others use the BMI in their work. However, BMI has some important flaws. For example, it does not measure overall fat or lean tissue (muscle) content. BMI is derived from a simple math formula.

Does anyone still use BMI?

Many people categorized as overweight or obese by their BMI may have normal bloodwork and other health markers, while some in the healthy BMI range don't. This often creates unnecessary body shame and stress. Yet many still use BMI as the guide for healthy weight.

Who should not use BMI as a predictor of health?

So, BMI may help predict health status among people who are white, but may be less accurate for people in other racial and ethnic groups. For example, defining obesity by standard measures of BMI tends to overestimate risk in Black individuals and underestimate it for those of Asian descent.

What are two major drawbacks of BMI values?

Why is my BMI high but I don't look fat?

How muscular you are: A few people have high BMIs but don't have much body fat. Their muscle tissue pushes up their weight. An example: "A football player or a body builder who is very muscular. Their BMI shows up pretty high, and yet their body fat is actually pretty low," Kahan says.

Does BMI actually matter?

Is BMI an accurate assessment of my health? Yes and no. BMI is a useful tool for healthcare professionals to quickly identify health risks—for example, a person with a high BMI has a greater chance of developing cardiovascular disease and diabetes—but your BMI alone doesn't provide a detailed picture of your health.

Is BMI actually useful?

“It is a very useful tool in epidemiologic research,” said Dr. JoAnn Manson, a professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School. Research has shown that across large groups of people, higher B.M.I. is generally associated with greater risk of heart disease, Type 2 diabetes and some types of cancer, she said.

What is the most accurate way to measure obesity?

Computerized Tomography (CT) and Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) These two imaging techniques are now considered to be the most accurate methods for measuring tissue, organ, and whole-body fat mass as well as lean muscle mass and bone mass.

Should you take BMI seriously?

Body mass index is not specific to any particular health risk - and that's its strength, experts say. However, a BMI above the healthy range or too much fat around the waist is known to increase the risk of serious health problems, including stroke and certain cancers.

What is LeBron's BMI?

LeBron James is a 16-time NBA All-Star, with a BMI of 26.8.