If you keep track of your weight changes by weighing yourself now and then to see if you're losing extra weight or gaining some, then you are definitely measuring your BMI. So in this article, let's check out the key info about this method that helps understand what different body weights mean.
What is BMI?
It’s a way to measure your body weight compared to your height. It’s more of an index than a precise measure, and it's often linked to total body fat. The higher your body fat, the higher your BMI number. Still, BMI is not a diagnosis tool. Someone can have a high BMI without being obese. But it’s still useful to understand your body fat and how it affects your health. You can use it with other test results and discuss it with a nutritionist or your fitness coach.
How do you measure BMI?
To find BMI, you use this math formula:
BMI = (body weight in kilograms) \ (height in meters squared).
According to the BMI value from this formula, your body weight status is determined using a scale to set BMI values. This scale classifies your weight status, for example:
- If the BMI value is less than 18.5, then you are underweight
- If the BMI value is between 18.5 and 24.9, then you have a normal body weight.
- If the BMI value is Ranges between 25 , 29.9, then you have overweight.
- If the body mass index value 30 or above, it indicates obesity, and the higher the value, the more severe the obesity.
People with a high body mass index might suffer from serious health issues like:
- High cholesterol levels in the blood, and lipid disorders in the body
- Getting type 2 diabetes
- High blood pressure
- Strokes
- Heart diseases
- Some types of cancer
- Osteoporosis and joint diseases
That's why BMI is used to calculate health risks you might face, taking into account family medical history, personal illnesses, some healthy and unhealthy habits, and how much muscle effort you put in, plus body measurements. This helps better understand your weight status and how your BMI relates to your health.
What are other ways to measure body fat?
Just like BMI is used to find weight status by determining fat percentages, there are other methods used to measure body fat percentage. This is known as body composition analysis, and these are some methods:
- Underwater weighing: Also called water density, it is a complex method and used less often.
- Skinfold measurements: This is a simple way to estimate total body fat percentage.
- Bioelectrical impedance: This is the most common and widely used method. It estimates fat percentage from total body weight, muscle mass, water amount, and bone mass.
What are the limits of measuring BMI?
BMI has some limits when you use it to measure your body weight and condition. It fails to give real info about your body makeup, muscle mass, bones, fat, and other tissues. Sometimes it misclassifies, like with athletes who have high muscle mass and low fat but get labeled as overweight. It treats their body the same as those with extra fat causing weight gain. Also, older people with low muscle and high fat can sometimes be labeled normal weight by BMI.
So it's important to know that BMI is a useful tool but you should use other methods with it. Those tools show detailed info about your muscles, bones, and fat, so you can better understand your weight status and avoid risks like obesity or serious diseases.
