[ad_1]
Body Mass Index (BMI) is one of the most common ways to measure a weight category that can indicate health problems, but it is not a way to diagnose obesity or the health of a person. individual.
However, research indicates that BMI is not the most accurate representation of good health, and that it can have serious limitations in determining weight distribution and body fat percentage.
Read more
What is BMI?
The Body Mass Index (BMI) is a calculation that estimates body fat by dividing its weight in kilograms by the square of the height in meters (BMI = kg / m2), and the results are generally divided into four categories:
Underweight: a BMI less than 18.5
Normal weight: BMI between 18.5 and 24.9
Weight gain: BMI between 25 and 29.9
Obesity: a BMI over 30
Doctors can use BMI measurements as a screening tool to tell which category you belong to and whether you are at increased risk for certain health conditions, such as heart disease or diabetes, depending on the results.
BMI was originally established in the 19th century by Belgian mathematician and statistician Lambert Adolf Coetlet as a means of measuring obesity in the general population.
Read more
The formula then evolved during the 1940s, when the Metropolitan Life Insurance Company (MLIC) implemented an ideal weight standard for determining how much insurance would cost clients based on their health.
BMI is not always an accurate measure of health:
While BMI can be a quick, affordable, and easily accessible way to check a person’s health, the formula is better suited to general population information, according to Fatima Cody Stanford, MD and obesity researcher at Massachusetts General Hospital. . When analyzing BMI at the individual level, there are many other factors to consider because BMI is not covered by this one:
1. Body mass index Do not measure Percentage of body fat:
The percentage of body fat (BFP) is the percentage of fatty tissue in the body relative to the total body mass. It is generally measured with a skin caliper, a bioelectric impedance, or more precisely with a dual emitter X-ray absorber (DXA).
And one of the main problems with BMI is that it can’t calculate the difference between muscle and fat. Because muscle tissue is denser than fat, many athletes and bodybuilders are considered overweight according to BMI, despite being at the peak of their athletic health.
Read more
“Body fat percentage will give a better assessment of health because the risk of disease is more related to body fat than to body weight,” says Dr. Chika Anikoy, obesity physician at Massachusetts General Hospital and professor at Harvard Medical School.
2. Body mass index it does not take Consider different demographics
When Lambert Adolf Coetlett originally created the BMI, he pulled data from Anglo-Saxon organizations across an entire European population. For this reason, it is not always an accurate representation of the health of other demographic groups and races.
For example, researchers found that the peak BMI for obesity in Asians is actually lower than the standard BMI chart.
And in 2004, the World Health Organization found that Asian people at risk of developing type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease had low BMIs.
Another large 2004 study of more than 15,000 Chinese adults found that the risk of developing cardiovascular disease started with a lower body mass index and waist circumference compared to Caucasians. This means that when examining BMI, Asian people may be more likely to have illnesses in categories considered healthy or normal for a BMI chart.
Read more
Additionally, Stanford University conducted a study in 2020 that found that what is considered healthy for black women is higher than the standard BMI chart, while for Hispanic and white women, which is considered healthy is below the standard BMI.
3. Body mass index Do not measure Distribution of body fat:
The exact location of fat is another important factor when considering overall health, and it’s a measure for which BMI is not suited. Upper body fat around the waist and visceral fat are more associated with health complications, such as cardiovascular disease, than lower body fat around the thighs and buttocks.
And a 2017 study found that people with the same BMI could have very different risk profiles for heart attack, stroke, and diabetes depending on lifestyle, diet, and location of the patients. fats in their body.
Dr Anikoy says there are health predictions that are more accurate than BMI, which are called the five metabolic risk factors. Together, they can increase your chances of developing heart disease, stroke, and diabetes.
These measures include:
Read more
-cutExcess fat around the waist. If you have a circumference of 35 or more for a woman or 40 or more for a man, you may have an increased risk.
–High cholesterol level in the blood: Total cholesterol levels above 239 mg / dL in both men and women may present a higher risk of health problems.
High level of triglycerides: A type of fat in the blood that can increase when you eat more calories than you burn. A high level of triglycerides is greater than 200 mg / dL.
-Hypertension: When the blood flowing through the blood vessels is very high, it exceeds 140/90 mm Hg.
-High blood sugar: Blood sugar levels are consistently above 125 mg / dL in adults.
Source: Business Insider
[ad_2]
Source link
