This is an important shortcoming, since it is clear that people with fat around the middle abdominal area (visceral fat) have a greater risk of health problems than people with fat in their arms, bottoms, or thighs. In Black people, BMI often overestimates body fat, while in some Asian people, it commonly underestimates body fat.īMI also doesn’t tell us anything about where the fat is located. Women often have more body fat than men with the same BMI. Sex and race: BMI was created using data from Caucasian (white) men, so the scoring does not work as well for women and non-white people. Because of this, older adults’ BMI often suggests that they have lower body fat than what they actually have. They may have a “higher than normal” BMI and still have a healthy amount of fat.Īge: People tend to lose muscle mass and gain fat as they get older. Muscle mass: BMI isn’t a good measure of body fat for athletes or people with more muscle mass. Here are some other reasons that a person may have a “higher than normal” or “lower than normal” BMI: So equating BMI with body fat is not a good practice. The important thing to understand is that it’s not just excess fat that affects a person’s BMI. It estimates body fat based on a person’s height and weight, and does not take into account age, genetics, race, muscle, or fat distribution. Why is BMI so commonly used, and what are its shortcomings?īMI is far from a perfect tool. At a BMI of 30 or above, you are considered to have obesity. If you have a BMI of 25 to 29, then that’s considered to be overweight. It’s not a whole lot better than measuring how much water you displace when you get into the bath.Ī healthy BMI is considered to be between 18.5 and 24.9 kg/m2. It’s easy to find a BMI calculator online, which is one of the reasons why BMI is so commonly used.īMI can help some people identify if they have excess weight or obesity. The formula is: weight divided by height squared. What is the body mass index (BMI) and how do you calculate it?īody mass index (BMI) is calculated using your height and weight. It is normal for women to have more body fat than men and for a person’s amount of body fat to increase with age. In women, a healthy body fat percentage is between 20% and 35%. What is a healthy body fat percentage?Ī healthy body fat level depends on many factors and is often determined by gender and age. The amount of body fat you have depends on many factors, including your age, gender, and ethnicity. This type of fat helps with regulating body temperature, cushions the body, and can store energy. Subcutaneous fat is the fat that is under the skin. Abdominal fat, also called visceral fat, is the fat surrounding organs in the abdomen and is associated with medical conditions like diabetes and high blood pressure. It raises the risk of some health conditions, including: It performs important functions like making hormones, regulating your body temperature, and storing vitamins and nutrients.īut too much body fat can cause health problems. What is body fat and why does it matter?īody fat is necessary for survival. But using other body fat measurements - from a simple waist measurement to smart scales - may be a better way to determine your health and risk factors. The BMI is used because it’s free and easy to calculate. For example, having central body fat in the abdomen and around the organs is associated with health problems like diabetes and heart disease.īut how can you know how much body fat you have and what it means for your health?ĭespite what you may have been told, the body mass index, or BMI, is not the best way to tell how much fat you have. But it may not matter as much as what makes up your weight (fat versus muscle) or where your fat is located.
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