By subscribing you agree to with our Privacy Policy and provide consent to receive updates from our company.
Not everything that was once considered sacred remains sacred. The Body Mass Index (BMI), once our loyal companion in the health realm, is no longer as significant as it once was. Scientists are throwing the measuring stick overboard and proposing new ways to measure our health.
Let’s explore why BMI has had its day.
Scientists point out that BMI does not distinguish between muscle and fat, bone structure, and other critical factors that affect overall health. A lean athlete may have a high BMI due to muscle mass, while a less active person with a 'normal' BMI might carry an unhealthy amount of fat. If BMI had a dating profile, it would now be swiped left in favor of a newer, better match.
Fortunately, scientists have proposed alternative methods that provide a more detailed and accurate picture of a person’s health than the simple calculation of BMI. Here are the top 5:
Measuring body fat percentage tells you not just how much you weigh, but how much of that weight is fat. Methods such as bioelectrical impedance, skinfold measurements, and dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) offer a detailed view of the distribution of fat and muscle mass.
The waist-to-hip ratio specifically focuses on the distribution of fat around vital organs. Measure the circumference of your waist and hips, and voila! A ratio of 0.85 or lower for women and 0.90 or lower for men is considered healthy. It reveals more than just numbers on the scale – it provides insight into the distribution of that weight.
FFMI (Fat-Free Mass Index) is useful for those focused on strength training. It considers muscle mass and can provide a better picture of an individual’s health, especially for those who are regulars at the gym. The formula is more complex than BMI, but it offers a more nuanced result.
Waist circumference measurement specifically targets the waist, which can indicate visceral fat, the unhealthy fat that surrounds the organs. It’s a simple measurement that can be done with a tape measure and can highlight health risks, even if BMI appears normal.
Health is more than just outward measurements. Cardiopulmonary fitness, measured by tests like a stress test, tells you how effectively your heart and lungs work during physical activity. It provides a dynamic view of your overall health status.
While BMI may have sufficed in the past, modern measurements have raised the bar. A layered approach, using various measurements together, offers a more complete picture of one’s health. So, as BMI retires, we welcome a new generation of measurements that can tell us much more about our health!
