{"id":25319,"date":"2012-06-14T02:37:24","date_gmt":"2012-06-14T02:37:24","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.ou.org\/life\/?p=25319"},"modified":"2017-01-12T04:20:00","modified_gmt":"2017-01-12T09:20:00","slug":"the-bmi-fallacy-alan-freishtat","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/life\/health\/physical-health\/the-bmi-fallacy-alan-freishtat\/","title":{"rendered":"Body Mass Index: The Numbers Lie"},"content":{"rendered":"

The BMI, short for Body Mass Index, is an index used to measure our health risk by calculating height and weight. For the last 25 years, it has been used by most health providers and doctors to assess their patient\u2019s health risks vis-\u00e0-vis their weight. \u00a0But I am a BMI basher. \u00a0We\u2019ll get to that.<\/p>\n

You weigh 176 pounds. \u00a0Your BMI is 26.6. \u00a0Your waist to hip measurement is 0.8. \u00a0Your body fat is at 24%. What do you make of all this?<\/p>\n

First, let’s deal with the number on the scale. \u00a0It doesn\u2019t tell you how much of that weight is because you’re big or small\"\"– framed (boned) and it certainly can\u2019t differentiate between how much is muscle and how much is fat. It gives us a good idea about our health and weight, but it isn\u2019t the whole story\u2014at all.<\/p>\n

Numerous times I have witnessed my clients getting ready for a weekly weigh-in. \u00a0They feel so much better about how their clothes fit (the belt went in a notch this week)…but the scale is still in the same place.<\/p>\n

What happened? Muscle. It took the place of fat. And since it weighs more than fat, the scale didn’t move. Perhaps it evenwent up. But you look better.<\/p>\n

Enter the BMI, touted as the more accurate way to assess one\u2019s health and weight. \u00a0It was devised around 1830 and is defined as the individual’s body mass divided by the square of his or her height and in 1927, it became a main measure of evaluation of one\u2019s body mass. \u00a0When you read the all-too-frightening statistics about how much of the population is overweight and obese, these are based on BMI readings. \u00a0Here is how we interpret BMI results:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/colgroup>\n<\/table>\n
\n\n\n<\/colgroup>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
\n

BMI<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

Weight Status<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n

Below 18.5<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

Underweight<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\n

18.5 \u2013 24.9<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

Normal<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\n

25.0 \u2013 29.9<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

Overweight<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\n

30.0 and Above<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

Obese<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

The BMI is very easy to use, and that is one of the reasons that doctors like to use it. \u00a0But the accuracy of the BMI \u00a0in terms of measuring overall health risk is questionable.<\/p>\n

A 2010 study that followed 11,000 subjects for up to eight years concluded that BMI is not a good measure for the risk of heart attack, stroke or death. A better measure was found to be the\u00a0waist-to-height ratio.<\/p>\n

BMI is particularly inaccurate for people who are fit or athletic, as the higher muscle mass tends to put them in the “overweight” category by BMI, even though their body fat percentages frequently fall in the 10-15% category, which is below that of a more sedentary person of average build who has a “healthy” BMI number. Body composition for athletes is often better calculated using measures of\u00a0body fat, as determined by such techniques as skin fold measurements or underwater weighing. \u00a0The limitations of manual measurement have also led to new, alternative methods to measure obesity, such as the\u00a0body volume index.<\/p>\n

BMI also does not account for body frame size; a person may have a small frame and be carrying too much excess fat, but their BMI reflects that they are “healthy.” Conversely, a large-framed individual may be quite healthy with a fairly low body fat percentage, but be classified as “overweight” by BMI. \u00a0A further limitation of BMI relates to loss of height through aging. In this situation, BMI will increase without any corresponding increase in weight.<\/p>\n

The BMI doesn\u2019t measure important aspects of healthy living. \u00a0There is no calculation that includes how much exercise you do or whether or not you include healthful foods in your diet. \u00a0A person with a 22-23 BMI may look good in the eye of the examining doctor, but if this person happens to have a fast metabolism, eats unhealthy food and doesn\u2019t exercise, he may be a lot less healthy and much more at risk for sickness and mortality than a person with a 27-28 BMI who exercises daily and tries to consume healthy foods.<\/p>\n

So unlike the impression given by our public health officials, BMI–though helpful–is certainly not the beginning and end all of measurements related to our weight and health. \u00a0The best measure of how you are faring in health and weight loss may simply be how your clothes are fitting. New and more accurate measures that are not difficult to use are on the way.\u00a0 The bottom-line: If you keep doing what you need to in terms of proper eating and exercise, you will be doing wonders for your health.<\/p>\n

\n

Alan Freishtat\u00a0<\/strong>is an A.C.E. certified personal trainer and a lifestyle fitness coach with over 16 years of professional experience. He is the co-director of the Jerusalem-based weight loss and stress reduction center\u00a0<\/em>Lose It!\u00a0 He can be reached at 02-651-8502 or 050-555-7175, or by email at\u00a0alan@loseit.co.il<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

It’s not a good measure for the risk of heart attack, stroke or death. So why do doctors continue to use it?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":469,"featured_media":54881,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[16],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-25319","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-physical-health"],"yoast_head":"\nBody Mass Index: The Numbers Lie - OU Life<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Body Mass Index (BMI) is not a good measure for the risk of heart attack, stroke, or death. 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