What is BMI? ‘“ Quick Facts for BMI

What is BMI? BMI stands for Body Mass Index and it is a type of method used by medical professionals to determine if a person is in a healthy weight. As basis, BMI takes a person’s body height and weight. These factors help determine the levels of body fat. Typically, BMI applies to people over 20 years of age. However, for those who are under 20, a different formula applies.

The standard formula in computing the BMI is

BMI = mass/(height)2

Where mass is generally measured in kilograms and height in meters for those who are comfortable in using the metric system.

BMI has 8 categories known as:

Severely Underweight = BMI less than 16.5
Underweight = 16.5 to 18.4 BMI
Normal = 18.5 to 24.9 BMI
Overweight = 25 to 29.9 BMI
Obese Class I = 30 to 34.9 BMI
Obese Class II = 35 to 39.9 BMI
Obese Class III = above 40 BMI

BMI has always been associated with obesity. Obesity indicates that a person may have accumulated excessive fats that might negatively affect his/her health. As a rule, a person having a body weight with at least 20% higher than normal is considered obese. From the category chart above, a BMI of 30 and above indicates obesity.

Due to the different body types of different races, the BMI had international variations. Therefore, these international variations also caused different categories depending on the country. In the US, normal/overweight cut-off has been moved from BMI 27.8 to BMI 25. The international variations were backed up by the concept that different body types need different BMI category ranges.

World Health Organization has been using BMI to record obesity statistics since the early 1980s. Generally, BMI’s purpose is to measure the adiposity of a body. However, there are arguments about the accuracy of BMI categories. It is argued that BMI does not take into account the body frame or muscularity of a person.

Due to some arguments about the shortcomings of BMI, the errors in BMI have been considered significant. Therefore, some health experts stressed that due to these errors, BMI is not generally useful in evaluating the health of an individual. The arguments were backed up by the differences of each person body built.

It was said that different person might have different distribution of muscle and bone mass. This backs up the theory that BMI might overestimate the adiposity of the body. Athletes would be a good example to site. They have leaner body mass and therefore may weigh heavier for their normal weight.

Aging was also considered as a factor in limiting the accuracy of BMI. As an individual grows older, the height decreases. This would mean an increase in BMI even without a corresponding increase in weight.

As a conclusion, BMI is still considered a fairly reliable tool in evaluating a person’s health condition. However, there are other tools available for better accuracy, depending on the actual person being evaluated. Physicians might also use blood pressure, cardiac health, or learn about a person’s lifestyle. These other tools or methods can help accurately determine the actual health status of a person.

What is BMI? ‘“ Quick Facts for BMI

What is BMI? BMI stands for Body Mass Index and it is a type of method used by medical professionals to determine if a person is in a healthy weight. As basis, BMI takes a person’s body height and weight. These factors help determine the levels of body fat. Typically, BMI applies to people over 20 years of age. However, for those who are under 20, a different formula applies.

The standard formula in computing the BMI is

BMI = mass/(height)2

Where mass is generally measured in kilograms and height in meters for those who are comfortable in using the metric system.

BMI has 8 categories known as:

Severely Underweight = BMI less than 16.5
Underweight = 16.5 to 18.4 BMI
Normal = 18.5 to 24.9 BMI
Overweight = 25 to 29.9 BMI
Obese Class I = 30 to 34.9 BMI
Obese Class II = 35 to 39.9 BMI
Obese Class III = above 40 BMI

BMI has always been associated with obesity. Obesity indicates that a person may have accumulated excessive fats that might negatively affect his/her health. As a rule, a person having a body weight with at least 20% higher than normal is considered obese. From the category chart above, a BMI of 30 and above indicates obesity.

Due to the different body types of different races, the BMI had international variations. Therefore, these international variations also caused different categories depending on the country. In the US, normal/overweight cut-off has been moved from BMI 27.8 to BMI 25. The international variations were backed up by the concept that different body types need different BMI category ranges.

World Health Organization has been using BMI to record obesity statistics since the early 1980s. Generally, BMI’s purpose is to measure the adiposity of a body. However, there are arguments about the accuracy of BMI categories. It is argued that BMI does not take into account the body frame or muscularity of a person.

Due to some arguments about the shortcomings of BMI, the errors in BMI have been considered significant. Therefore, some health experts stressed that due to these errors, BMI is not generally useful in evaluating the health of an individual. The arguments were backed up by the differences of each person body built.

It was said that different person might have different distribution of muscle and bone mass. This backs up the theory that BMI might overestimate the adiposity of the body. Athletes would be a good example to site. They have leaner body mass and therefore may weigh heavier for their normal weight.

Aging was also considered as a factor in limiting the accuracy of BMI. As an individual grows older, the height decreases. This would mean an increase in BMI even without a corresponding increase in weight.

As a conclusion, BMI is still considered a fairly reliable tool in evaluating a person’s health condition. However, there are other tools available for better accuracy, depending on the actual person being evaluated. Physicians might also use blood pressure, cardiac health, or learn about a person’s lifestyle. These other tools or methods can help accurately determine the actual health status of a person.