What is body mass index? 3. How accurate is body mass index for predicting health risk? In very simple terms, body mass index looks at your weight relative to your height. Use the calculator below to determine your BMI and then refer to the article below to put your results into context. How Much Body Fat Should I Have? The higher your BMI, the greater your theoretical risk of developing obesity and associated GlucoLife Metabolic Support disease like diabetes, high blood pressure, high blood lipids (fats), and cardiovascular disease (heart disease or stroke). Consider the following classification table, but be sure to keep reading in order to put these numbers into context. How accurate is body mass index for predicting health risk? Body mass index is frequently criticised for not giving a well-rounded picture of health. One of the main limitations of BMI is that it does not take body composition into account (i.e., how much fat and muscle you have). If you have an athletic build (i.e., lots of muscle), it may indicate a "false positive" by overestimating your health risk where none actually exists.
Or you might be normal weight, but if you're short in stature, then BMI would likely yield a higher number. For example, you might be a shorter, well-muscled person with an elevated BMI of 27. Technically you're "overweight" on the BMI scale, but your clinical values (cholesterol, blood sugar levels, blood pressure, etc) might still be normal. So you CAN carry a little bit of body fat and still be healthy on the inside. In practice, I've seen plenty of people who were "overweight" or even "obese" by BMI standards but were regular exercisers who ate a healthy diet and were clinically very healthy. On the other hand, I've also seen people who were relatively thin but carried a lot of localised belly fat. While their BMI values were technically "normal," their clinical values were poor (i.e., hypertension, hyperlipidemia, type 2 diabetes, etc). So is body mass index useless? The real value for BMI is that, when put into context with other health biomarkers (i.e., blood glucose, insulin, blood pressure, lipids, waist circumference), it can help inform the overall clinical picture and provide a better understanding of your health.
From a public health or clinical research standpoint, BMI can be useful as a quick field measure for assessing health risk across large numbers of people with relatively minimal equipment (standard hospital scale and stadiometer for weight and height). Playing the numbers game, it is true that, across a large population, people with a high body mass index do tend to have a greater health risk. But when you plop your elevated BMI on the bell-shaped curve, you might be the exception due to your height or muscle. The big picture is that you shouldn't hang your hat on any single clinical biomarker. Discuss your BMI with your doctor and be sure to put it into context relative to your overall medical history and clinical picture. The formula for BMI is your body weight in kilograms divided by your height in meters squared (kg/m2). If you think in imperial units of measure, I'll show you below how to convert units to metric.
Let's do a sample calculation on a person who is 85 kg and 1.70 m tall. To convert your body weight from lbs to kg, you divide pounds by 2.2 to get kg. Metric conversions too much to handle? English, that's your weight in pounds multiplied by 703 and then that number divided by your height in inches multiplied by your height in inches (height squared). If you have any questions about this calculator or BMI in general, feel free to leave your question below in the comments section. How Much Body Fat Should I Have? Dr. Bill Sukala is a scientist and health communicator with decades of experience in nutrition, exercise physiology, clinical practice and research, and numerous consultancies to major health organisations. Dealing with his own undiagnosed pituitary tumour for over 12 years transformed his understanding of health and wellness and forced him to dive deep into the neuroscience of habit formation and brain health. Drawing from his academic background, research expertise, and lived experience, he helps people understand the science behind how scientific insights and mindset strategies can unlock human potential and drive meaningful personal transformation.
What Is The Best Blood Pressure Monitor For Me? The modern lifestyle has increased health risks in many. And, basic health procedures, like blood pressure monitoring, have become a necessity in many homes. Essentially, blood pressure monitors give a quick and painless process to monitor heart health and track whether medications are working. Read on if you want to know more about: how do blood pressure monitors work? What is the best blood pressure monitor for me? What Are Blood Pressure Monitors? Nowadays, health consultations have been increasingly done virtually. And with this, many doctors are recommending their patients to check their blood pressure at home. But, what is a blood pressure monitor, and how does it work? A blood pressure monitor, also called a sphygmomanometer, can either be manual or digital. Manual devices will include an inflatable cuff, a rubber squeeze bulb, and a gauge that measures GlucoLife blood sugar support pressure. You will need a stethoscope to listen to the pulse of blood pressure through the artery.