Many experts have criticized this fairly limited measure of the health of our weight. Essentially bmi is a simple mathematical formula based on height and weight that is used to measure fatness.
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Is body weight a reliable measurement of overall health. You should be aware of your bmi because of the health risks of being overweight that. The centers for disease control and prevention cdc says bmi is a fairly reliable indicator of body fatness for most people 8 the national institutes of health nih says a good way to decide. Increasingly medical research is showing that it isnt. There are a multitude of ways to measure fat on your in. Knowing fat percentage also helps determine ideal weight as a goal for healthy weight loss. Researchers found that almost one quarter of adults who were classified as normal weight or approximately 163 million people nationwide have indicators for one or more of the risks usually associated with being overweight such as elevated blood pressure or higher levels of triglycerides blood sugar and cholesterol.
Often a visit to the doctors office starts with a weigh in. But is a persons weight really a reliable indicator of overall health. Health is more strongly correlated with body fat percentage and distribution than with overall weight but getting an accurate measure of ones muscle to fat ratio is not especially simpleand. Height and weight are the two factors that determine a persons body mass index bmi a measure of body fat and general health. Most people rely on the body mass index or bmi which is a measure of our weight in relation to our height. However this one size fits all approach may be flawed according to researchers from the university of california los angeles ucla.
Body mass index is the standard metric for determining who is normal weight overweight and obese but bmi is not an accurate measure of fat and doesnt explain the causes of poor health. A new study published monday confirms that body weight isnt an accurate indicator for certain health risks. Bmi is supposed to estimate the amount of body fat a person carries. Body mass index bmi provides an easy way to measure obesity but more doctors are questioning its accuracy and usefulness. The best benefit of losing excess fat is that by doing so your body returns to good health and many obesity associated health problems disappear.