Body Mass Index (BMI) Measure of Body Fat

Body Mass Index (BMI) and How it Measure the Body Fat Body Mass Index (BMI) is based on your high and weight about your height and applied to most adult men and women aged 20 and over. For children aged 2 and above, BMI percentile is the best assessment of body fat. BMI does not measure body fat directly. However, research indicates that BMI correlates to direct measures of body fat such as underwater weighing and dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA), and is considered an inexpensive and easy-to-perform alternative for these.

FACTS ON BMI

Here are some critical points about BMI:

• Body mass index (BMI) is a measure of relative size based on the mass and height of an individual.
• The Quetelet Index devised by Adolphe Quetelet, a Belgian mathematician, astronomer, and statistician, in 1832.
• It was later termed “body mass index” in 1972 by Ancel Keys.
• BMI is a simple, inexpensive and noninvasive surrogate measure of body fat.
• Factors such as age, sex, ethnicity, and muscle mass do not account in BMI chart.

For adults over 20 years old and older, BMI can be interpreted by using standard or not updated there weight status, and categories that are the same for all ages, and for both women and men. For children, kids and adolescents between 2-20 years old, BMI interpreted relevant categories to a child’s age and sex. BMI is reasonable throughout the years as an indicator of body fat categories for both adults and children. Because BMI does not measure categories of body fat directly, it should not use as a diagnostic tool. BMI should be used only to measure to track weight status in populations and also as a screening categories tool to identify potential weight problems in individuals. Body fat measures, such as skinfold thicknesses, bioelectrical impedance, underwater weighing and dual energy X-ray absorption, maybe more accurate than BMI.

WHAT IS BODY MASS INDEX (BMI)?

BMI use as a screening tool to indicate whether a person is an underweight, healthy weight for their height, overweight or obese. If a person BMI is out of the excellent measure by the BMI range, their health risks may increase. BMI is age-independent, the same for both women and men. But the BMI may not be the same degree of fat in different populations because due to a diverse body and other proportion. The health risks associated with high BMI can be confusing, the interpretation of BMI risk may differ for different populations. There are three ways to check your BMI:

• Use our BMI calculators
• First, use the BMI chart, find your height in the left-hand column. Then, follow it over until you see your weight along the top bar.
• The number in the center box between the two is your BMI.

THE BENEFITS OF MAINTAINING A HEALTHY WEIGHT

• Fewer joint and muscle pains
• The ability to join in more activities and Increased energy
• Improved bodily fluids and blood pressure
• The Reduced burden of the heart and circulatory system
• Improved sleep patterns

Reductions in blood glucose, the risk of developing type 2 diabetes and triglycerides:

• Excess of weight increases how hard the heart has to work to pump blood, it also gives high blood pressure, blood cholesterol and triglyceride levels and lowers HDL (good) cholesterol levels.
• Excess of weight can make help likely to develop any diabetes.
• Lifestyle changes that help maintain a 3-5% weight loss and likely to result in clinically meaningful improvements in blood glucose, triglycerides, and risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
• Greater weight loss can and also help reduce blood pressure and improve blood cholesterol.

THE BODY MASS INDEX MEASUREMENTS?

Researchers point out that the (BMI), based on the height and weight, is not an accurate measure of body fat because it does not account for critical factors that contribute to health or mortality, such as fat distribution, the proportion of muscle to fat, and the sex and racial differences in body. However, it used as a screening tool to identify potential weight problems in adults. If a person has a high BMI, But yet to determine if this excess weight is a health risk, call your doctor, or a healthcare provider would need to complete further assessments such as:

• Skinfold thickness measurements
• Evaluations of diet
• Physical activity
• Family history
• Other appropriate health screenings

HOW TO CALCULATE BMI FOR ADULTS

Belgium Statistician Adolphe Quetelet developed the BMI formula approximately 150 years ago.

THE CALCULATION OF BMI

BMI based on the following formulas:

• Metric BMI Formula. Weight (kg) / Height (m)2

With the metric system, the formula for BMI is weight in kilograms divided by height in meters squared (kg/m2). Since height commonly measured in centimeters, divide height in centimeters by 100 to obtain height in meters.

• Imperial BMI Formula. (Weight (lbs.) * 703) / Height (inches)2

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