Is BMI precise for each type of body?

The body mass index (BMI) is standard health care providers that care providers to assess the body composition and the risk of certain diseases using a weight / height ratio. However, this does not mean that it is the most precise measure. BMI does not precisely measure body fat and is widely criticized not to consider factors such as age, muscle mass and sex.

Jump at the main dishes to remember.

BIM limits

BMI is a screening tool for weight insufficiency, overweight and obesity. He uses a simple equation to calculate the weight in relation to height, two things that are easily measured to the most regular health visits.

However, due to its simplicity, the BMI has important limits. These include:

• It cannot differentiate the types of fat.
• He cannot distinguish fat, muscle and bone mass.
• This does not indicate where fat is located in the body.
• IMC categories do not take into account sex or age.

The BMI was popularized by the physiologist Ancel Keys in 1972. He created the equation based on research using only “healthy” men of mainly white ancestry. Consequently, the BMI can be misleading for people from other demographic data and has been widely criticized for this reason.

What factors contribute to an inaccurate BMI?

As discussed above, the BMI is not always an indicator of confidence of health, according to factors such as age, muscle mass and sex.

Age

The level of body fat and the distribution change naturally throughout a lifetime, and the BMI does not consider it. The elderly tend to have a drop in weight but experience an increased visceral abdominal fat (deep fat in the belly, surrounding the organs).

Muscle mass

If you are very athletic and you have a high muscle mass, which results in a high BMI, you can be considered “obese” according to BMI standards.

Conversely, you could fall into the “normal” or “weak” categories of BMI despite a low muscle mass. Muscle mass contributes to your overall weight; The BMI cannot be differentiated from the weight due to fat, bone or muscle.

Sex

The BMI was created on the basis of research which only involved men. Consequently, it is not intrinsically inclusive of women, which generally have higher body fat levels proportional to height and hold fat in different areas of the body than males.

Why the BMI is used

Despite its limits and inherent prejudices, experts have not found an equivalent alternative and continue to use it for the following reasons:

• Convenience: BMI is a practical and non -invasive measure to help health care providers acquire a general understanding of your related weight status and health risks.
• Affordability: It is affordable compared to more precise alternatives such as absorptiometry with double energy X -rays (DEXA), analyzes that measure body composition, but are much more expensive and take time.
• Public health: Predding weight -related health problems, such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes and the risk of mortality (death) using BMI is useful in the population.

However, experts continue to work to find a more inclusive alternative to the BMI.

Alternative to BMI

Due to the limits of the BMI, scientists actively seek more inclusive and precise alternatives. Some options include:

• Waist: This is the measure around the middle of a person. It is a precious addition to the BMI, offering an additional context to the health risks of a person.
• Size / hip ratio: This measure divides the waist tower by circumference of the hip, with different recommendations for men and women. Recent research has shown that it may be preferable to predict mortality and liver health problems that BMI.
• Relative fat mass (RFM): This measurement uses the height and the waist to assess the body composition.
• Prediction of body composition (PBC): These measurement factors in demographic details and physical measurements to determine the body composition
• A bodily form index (ASSSI): This measure uses the waist, weight and height to assess body composition and health risks.

In the end, more research must be carried out on these new measures, which are not yet widely used.

Main to remember

• The BMI is widely used to assess the body composition and the relative health risk.
• The BMI is not a specific measure and does not take into account age, sex, physical form and all aspects of body composition.
• Despite its well -established limits, the BMI is still frequently used in health environments. However, it should only be used in the context of the health history of a person and other personal factors.