Body Mass Index (BMI) Can't Measure Your Overall Health

Body-Mass index is a ratio of your weight to yourthat you may be at risk, but that’s all.
height. Too low of a BMI may indicate that you areBecause it presumes a certain ratio of body-fat to
underweight - undernourished or suffering some kindmuscle, it may not accurately reflect whether you
of illness that leads to unintentional weight loss.have a healthy metabolism, what condition your heart
Conversely, a higher than normal BMI correlates withis in, and how you look and feel.
being overweight.So what indicators should you consider in addition to
What Conditions Are Associated With High BMI?BMI in trying to determine your state of fitness and
Having a high BMI correlates with a higher risk forwhat changes you might want to take in your activities
conditions including:and diet? Other risk factors for diseases like diabetes
-cardiovascular diseaseand cancer include:
-high blood pressure-diet
-osteoarthritis-physical activity
-some cancers-body fat
-diabetes-circumference
But there’s a limit to how useful the BMI is in-blood pressure
telling you about the state of your health.-blood sugar
So What's The Limit?-blood cholesterol
David S. is a 40-year-old art director; he weighs 240-family history
pounds and is 6 foot tall. According to his insurance-gender/ethnicity
agent’s BMI calculator, David’s BMI is 32.5,Just like BMI, no one of these indicators guarantees
well above the threshold for obesity. David chuckles asthat you will have, or avoid having, a particular condition.
he recounts the story of talking with his insuranceDavid’s father has a genetic condition that leads
company about insurance: “Before I went to seeto very high cholesterol; David has no cholesterol
her, she must have thought I was a candidate for aissues at all. In contrast, another designer, Laurie M., has
heart attack. When I visited, she realized that Ino family history of high cholesterol, and yet she been
wasn’t about to have a heart attack, but I thinktaking medication for high cholesterol since she turned
she almost did!”20.
In his spare time, David is a body builder. He liftsBalance Is Key:
weights nearly every day, gets regular aerobicSo how do you take all these factors into
exercise in the forms of bicycling and karate, and eatsconsideration in designing an exercise and nutritional
well-balanced meals emphasizing lean meats,program that’s right for you? The key is balance.
vegetables and fiber-bearing carbohydrates. DespiteIf your BMI is high and you have other risk factors
his BMI, his cholesterol levels are healthy, his bloodindicating risk for particular diseases, then work with
pressure that of an average 25 year old, and hisyour health care provider to change your exercise
activity level - well, it’s obviously pretty good.type and level, modify your diet, and add medications if
While we’re not all like David, there are twoneeded to reduce the chances of developing the
take-home lessons from his story:disease in question. If your BMI is high, but your other
1) BMI may not be a good indicator of your health andindicators suggest that you’re healthy, it may be
fitness.a matter of your comfort - do you like how you feel?
2) A given BMI number suggests that you might be atare you able to accomplish the activities that matter to
risk for certain diseases, but it doesn’t guaranteeyou? If so, check with your physician to see whether
it.maintaining your current weight and diet might be just
A high BMI does not mean that you have diabetes,what you need!
cancer, or high blood pressure, nor that you areCalle EE, et al. “BMI and mortality in prospective
destined to have one of those conditions. It suggestscohort of U.S.