Body Mass Index (BMI)

The body mass index is not always accurate

However as a weight loss tools Body Mass Index (BMI) is not that accurate and at times it can be misleading. Infact Fat Loss 4 Idiots (lose 40 lbs with Calorie Shifting ) recommends that you combine it with other tools. Examples here would include body fat percentage which is considered more accurate.

Body Mass Index (BMI) was invented by a Belgian Adopha Quetele`s around the early or mid 1800. It is a mathematical ratio of your total body weight and your height. Plain total body weight has been generally ineffective in determining health. This is because it does not take into account the frame of an individual. 

For example a short person may have same weight as a tall person. Yet health wise, the short person would be at risk. Body Mass Index takes the frame into consideration and is now commonly used by physicians and researchers to quantify obesity. And though BMI is not a diagnostic tool by itself, it is used to determine the extent of intervention in a weight loss management. For example a BMI equal or more than 30 is considered a candidate for weight loss surgery. 

To calculate your BMI, get your total body weight without clothes and your height without shoes, and then divide the weight by the square of your height.

BMI = Weight in Kgs / Height in Meters2
BMI = 703 (Weight in pounds / Height in inches2)

A BMI between 18.5 and 24.9 is considered health. Generally speaking one should aim to stay within this range. 

A BMI of 25.0 to 29.9 is considered overweight or hefty. At this stage you are becoming quite plump and your body fat is really more than you need. At this stage some individual attract health conditions as a result of the excess fat. These conditions include diabetes, hypertension and cardio vascular disease. Weight loss is encouraged. Adding any more weight is highly discouraged. 

At a BMI above 30.0 you are considered to have excess body fat. Individuals within this range tend to have at least one of the diseases that are known to accompany obesity. Most common of all is diabetes or some level of insulin resistance. Weight loss at this stage is most advised. 

Due to even higher BMI’s different categories of obesity have been introduced. 
A BMI between 30.0 and 34.9 is considered Class I. A BMI between 35.0 and 39.9 is Class II while a BMI above 40 is Class III or extreme obesity. 

An increase in BMI has proven to be indicative of increased health risk and you are encouraged to stay within the healthy range of 18.5 - 24.9. 

Unfortunately despite its popularity, Body Mass Index has its inherent errors. This is because the metric does not take into consideration body composition. It may tend to classify a very fit and healthy individual as obese or overweight. 

What poses a health risk in a high BMI is the excess body fat. But Body Mass Index as a weight loss tools does not measure body fat passé. It assumes that the excess body weight for a particular frame comes from fat, which is not always the case. To use an example given in Fat Loss 4 Idiots (lose 40 lbs with Calorie Shifting ) , a professional body builder; they have highly developed muscles that make up most of their weight. By using BMI, such an individual can be easily classified as being obese because BMI does not differentiate between the muscle tissue and fat tissue. 

This error also applies in the reverse. As a person gets older they tend to lose lean tissue, consequently their total body weight reduces significantly reducing their BMI. Unfortunately body fat does not reduce as much. As mentioned what poses health risk is the excess body fat. In such individuals the BMI falls within a healthy range yet they are in reality facing a health risk due to excess body fat. 

Due to these inherent errors BMI is not recommended as a tool for individuals above the age of 65-70 years. Above this age bracket BMI is not representative of health. For the same reason, BMI is applied differently in children. It is used in relative term comparing average BMIs of particular ages rather than an absolute measure as it is done in adults. 

Generally to correct these errors Body Mass Index is used together with other weight loss tools like Waist Circumference or even Waist Hip Ratio. 

Similar problems have been experienced in Asian adults whose frames are significantly smaller. Their BMI scales are reduced by 2 points. So an Asian adult is considered overweight at a BMI of 23 rather than 25. Weight loss tools are a necessity in your weight loss program. You need to quantify your challenge and track your progress. To learn more, In the next page, you learn about Calorie Shifting  You will discover;

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Disclaimer : This content is reviewed periodically and is subject to change as new information on weight loss becomes available. The information is intended for educational purposes only. Please consult your healthcare provider before beginning any kind of weight loss program