BMI- some people accept it, others fear it, others reject it, while others are not sure what to do with it. Where do you fall? Admittedly, taking a stand in the past few years has been quite hard, what with the obvious disparities between the fitness community and the HAES proponents. We look at what BMI measures, its failings, and its benefits:
WHAT IS BMI?
In full, BMI stands for body mass index, a measure used to calculate whether one has a healthy weight based on what’s the norm for people. It does so by comparing your height and weight. For example, if you are 25 years old and weigh 150 pounds and are 5 ft 3 inches tall, your BMI is 26.6. So, how does this compare to the norm?
The normal range starts from 18.5 to 24.9. Anyone under this is underweight, while anyone above it can be overweight, obese, or morbidly obese based on what the number reads. So, if your BMI is 26.6, you would need to lose at least 8.9 pounds to achieve a normal BMI.
DOES IT MATTER?
The BMI measure has been used by doctors for years for one reason – higher weights are known to predispose people to certain diseases. For example, people who are obese have higher likelihoods of developing acid reflux, joint issues, fatty liver, and other conditions that lower their quality of life.
As such, doctors often advise people to lose weight to put less pressure on their organs and joints to avoid these health problems. Based on studies, they have proven that higher BMIs come at a cost to one’s health. They thus use the BMI to determine which patients they need to advise on shedding some pounds.
IS IT ACCURATE?
Fat acceptance proponents have often argued that BMI is an incorrect health measurement tool. And they are right to some extent as it does not consider the following:
- The dimensions of one’s waist, hips, and chest,
- One’s body fat and muscle mass, and
- Bone density.
For example, a body builder with athlete-level body fat could still be overweight per the BMI due to the weight of their muscles. But do these limitations mean we should scrap BMI? Not at all. Even with its failings, few people can argue that the high readings on their BMI charts owe to muscle and not body fat.
If we were to use body fat percentages as a measure, most people with high BMIs would still fail. The issue is not with the BMI – it needs some work but scrapping it is not the best way to approach this failing.
SHOULD YOU USE BMI?
The war on BMI is on – but should you turn your back on it? Unless you are a body builder or happen to have a large frame, the BMI will apply to you. After all, fat percentage checks can always help you determine if it’s muscle or fat that’s weighing you down!
The best way to use BMI is as a target goal. For example, if you need to lose 20 pounds to be in the normal range, you are probably okay as you are if you don’t have underlying health conditions. But if you are fifty pounds overweight and not a body builder, you likely need to change your habits and embark on a health and fitness journey.
Luckily, starting this journey is much easier than turning your back on decades of science. And I can help you lower that number if you are overweight or increase it if you need to gain weight. No matter where you fall, I, a certified health and diet coach, can get you there!