The BMI has long been a standard indicator for determining the health status of individuals by many medical facilities.
These healthcare centers use BMI to know if a person is underweight, overweight or obese.
The general consensus is that if a person is overweight by virtue of having a high BMI, then he or she is deemed to be unfit and unhealthy.
Also, if a person has a lower than average BMI, then that individual is often viewed as being underweight, unfit, and unhealthy.
While on the surface, the BMI measurement may seem to be a more than accurate representation of the health status of a person, the truth is, it leaves more questions than answers.
In fact, it is now widely accepted in both the medical and bodybuilding community that this typical weight-to-height ratio measurement should not be the only indicator for determining a person’s current state of health.
In this post, we drop four reasons why BMI should not be used as the only indicator for determining men or women’s health. But first, we begin with an overview of BMI for the benefit of the uninitiated.
What Exactly is BMI?
BMI came into reckoning way back in 1832 when it was first used by the Belgian mathematician, named Adolphe Quetelet. BMI is an acronym for Body Mass Index and uses a mathematical equation in measuring the perfect weight for a person’s height.
Since the mid-19th century, BMI has been a staple indicator used by physicians in determining the health status of patients. Basically, a person’s BMI is calculated by dividing their body weight measured in either pounds (Ib) or kilograms (kg) by their height measured in inches or meters squared (m²).
For example, if your body weight is 120 Ib or approximately 54 kg and your height is 5′ 2″, you have a BMI of 21.9.
BMI Formula:
BMI measurement using body weight in pounds (Ib) and height in inches squared (in²):
BMI = weight (lb) / [height (in)]² x 703 or
BMI measurement using body weight in kilograms (kg) and height in meters squared (m²):
BMI = weight (kg) / height (m²)
Your BMI measurement only has meaning when it is compared with the standard BMI chart for underweight, normal, overweight and obese persons as seen below:
- Underweight: a BMI measurement of less than 18.5. This BMI is indicative of a high risk of poor health.
- Normal: a BMI measurement of between 18.5 and 24.9. This is indicative of good health.
- Overweight: a BMI of between 25 and 29.9. This BMI indicates a low to moderate health risk.
- Obese (Class 1): a BMI of between 30 and 34.9. This BMI is indicative of a high poor health risk.
- Obese (Class 2): a BMI of between 35 and 39.9. This BMI is indicative of a very high poor health risk.
- Obese (Class 3): a BMI of 40 and over. This BMI is indicative of an extremely high poor health risk.
On the surface, your BMI reading can help give you an idea if you are underweight, overweight, obese or within a normal weight class. In the example, the person’s BMI is 21.9 which falls under the normal BMI category.
By knowing if you are overweight or obese through your BMI, you could make health and lifestyle choices to avoid being susceptible to the many health concerns associated with being overweight or obese, such as; arthritis, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, stroke, diabetes, liver disease, and cancer amongst many other illnesses.
However, while your BMI gives you a baseline to work with in terms of what should be considered an ideal body mass index, you should never rely on your BMI as the only indicator for good health.
4 Reasons Why BMI Is Not a Perfect Indicator for Women’s Health
#1. BMI does Not Consider Your Gender and Age
The striking thing about the standard BMI chart is that it does not consider the gender or age of a person.
For example, the BMI of middle-aged or elderly person may appear normal according to the BMI chart, but that does not necessarily mean that the person is actually healthy, as the BMI chart does not take into account the possible sedentary lifestyle of the person as a result of their advanced years.
Also, the BMI chart assumes that both male and females of the same height have a similar body weight. But the reality is, more often than not males weight more than females of the same height.
#2. BMI does not take Physiological differences in race into account
The race of an individual plays a major role in the way fat is stored in that person. Extensive studies indicate that there are physiological differences in how fat is stored in different races.
For example, Asians tend to have fat stores concentrated mainly around their vital organs while African-Americans predominantly have subcutaneous fat stores.
Having fat stores around vital organs is actually considered to be much more dangerous than fat stored under the skin.
So an Asian woman may have a normal BMI according to the BMI chart, but may unknowingly be at risk of cardiovascular health problems like stroke, heart disease, and cardis arrest due to large fat stores around her heart.
#3. BMI does not take into account your Weight and Muscle Mass Distribution
It must be mentioned here that athletes often have a greater muscle mass percentage in comparison with the average Joe, but according to the standard BMI chart, a high performance athlete and a regular person may fall under the overweight category simple because the standard BMI chart fails to take into account the person’s body fat to muscle mass ratio.
Also, the BMI chart does not consider the body composition, shape, and weight distribution of individuals. This is important, as while two individuals can have similar BMI, both may have completely different health risks due to the difference in their body composition, shape and weight distribution.
For example, women with large fat stores around the stomach and waist area are at a greater risk of suffering from cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes compared to women with fat stores concentrated around the hip area.
#4. BMI fails to measure the current state of your wellbeing
Measuring just the weight and body fat of an individual is not enough to definitely ascertain their current state of health and wellbeing.
In order to determine the overall health status of any individual, you will need to include other parameters, such as; their blood sugar level, triglycerides, HDL and LDL cholesterol levels, blood pressure, and even waist size.
If you consider these key indicators in addition to your BMI, you will have a better understanding of the current state of your health and overall wellbeing.
Conclusion
BMI is a useful tool for understanding where you stand in terms of being underweight, overweight, obese or having a normal weight.
However, BMI alone will not give you an accurate understanding of your overall state of wellbeing.
This is because BMI does not consider many factors like your age, gender, genetics, race, muscle mass, body fat mass, and even bone density.
If you want to have a clearer picture of how healthy you are, you should consider getting other tests like HDL and LDL cholesterol, triglycerides, blood pressure, and blood sugar tests along with your BMI. You can chat with an IFBB PRO for free, if you want more information on BMI and women’s health today.
