BMI (Body Mass Index)
In recent years, BMI (Body Mass Index) has come under fire for not being an accurate measure of health. BMI is a number that is used to estimate body fat. It is based on height and weight measurements. Of late, studies show that BMI is flawed because it does not consider factors such as muscle mass, bone density, and fat distribution. BMI also does not take into account how much of a person’s body fat is actually unhealthy.
Researchers from the Perelman School of Medicine say that BMI is an inaccurate measure of body fat and should not be used as the sole measure of body fatness. It can overestimate or underestimate body fat depending on a person’s build. For example, someone with a lot of muscle mass may have a high BMI but may not have a high percentage of body fat.
Dr Margaret Ashwell, an independent consultant and former science director of the British Nutrition Foundation, is one of the most vocal opponents of BMI. In a recent interview, she stated that “BMI is a very inaccurate measure of body fatness and doesn’t take into account where that fat is distributed on the body, which is much more important for health.” She went on to say that there are much better ways to assess someone’s risk of developing obesity-related health problems and that the waist-to-height ratio is a superior predictor to BMI.
Right now, researchers are focused on the molecular pathways to better understand how cells function, which they say would be a better indication of the influences of our status and mortality.
Please do your research and check with your doctor for best results.
AINQA wishes you a safe and healthy Wednesday.
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