The body mass index (BMI) is a flawed measurement system that fails to accurately determine whether an individual is overweight or not. A great example of this is professional athletes, who often fall into high BMI categories despite not being obese. Their increased weight is due to muscle mass, which BMI does not account for. Due to the lack of consideration for body composition, the BMI is also incapable of indicating serious health risks accurately.
Recent studies have demonstrated that a person with a normal BMI but a high waist-to-hip ratio faces a greater risk of disease, particularly heart disease, and early death. To put it into perspective, men with a normal weight but a high waist-to-hip ratio (referred to as “central obesity”) are 87% more likely to die prematurely than individuals with other BMI and waist-to-hip ratio combinations. Women have a 48% higher mortality risk with central obesity.
In short, individuals with a high BMI can still be healthier than those with excess fat specifically around their midsection, known as belly fat, but have a regular BMI. Belly fat places an individual at a higher risk for heart disease, especially for women.
To avoid disease and early death that results from excessive fat, it’s essential to know your body composition. A great starting point for this is determining your waist-to-hip ratio, and traditional calipers can help measure body fat in areas such as your hips and upper arms. A more precise method to find your body composition is visiting a clinic that utilizes a DEXA machine.
Originally used for measuring bone density, DEXA machines help medical professionals evaluate their patients’ body composition for those looking to lose weight. The process is non-invasive and straightforward: fully clothed, individuals lie flat on a table-like scanner. The DEXA machine passes a small dosage of radiation through the body, allowing the X-ray to distinguish fat from muscle and bone.
It’s important to note that this scanning method is so accurate at reading intramuscular fat that your body fat percentage may appear a bit higher (possibly by around 5%) than if measured by another method. This, however, demonstrates that the DEXA scanner provides a more precise account of one’s body composition, which can better inform an individual’s fitness and overall health journey.
In conclusion, the BMI measurement contains major flaws due to its inability to factor in an individual’s body composition. This can lead to a misconstrued determination of being overweight and a misguided understanding of potential health risks. To get a more accurate understanding of one’s health and potential risk factors, focusing on factors such as waist-to-hip ratio and body composition is more beneficial. By engaging in an evaluation with a DEXA machine or utilizing tools like traditional calipers, individuals can better understand their specific body composition and tailor their fitness and wellness goals accordingly.
