BMI MYTHS
You went to your doctor’s office recently, and your provider told you that your BMI was elevated. What does that even mean? How do providers use the BMI to look at our weight and overall health? In this blog, let’s look at what the BMI actually is, and what it can and CAN’T tell you. What are some BMI myths?
WHAT IS THE BMI?
BMI stands for body mass index. Providers calculate it using your weight in kilograms divided by your height in centimeters multiplied by itself, (squared). Originally, researchers meant to use this information to look at body sizes across populations. Later, providers began to use it to look at a person’s body weight and as a measure of body fat.
But is the BMI always a good measure of health? Let’s first look at what might cause the BMI to be less accurate.
ARE THERE PROBLEMS WITH USING THE BMI?
Several issues besides extra adipose tissue can cause the BMI to be elevated. These include:
· Athletes. People who exercise more often have more lean muscle mass and less body fat. And muscle weighs more than adipose tissue. The BMI calculation will be elevated in that case, but it won’t be due to overweight.
· People who are tall. Part of the BMI is calculated using height so people who are tall will have a higher number regardless of their weight.
· People who are short. People who are not as tall will have a lower BMI.
BMI MYTHS
People with overweight and obesity have been found to have conditions like:
· Heart disease
· High cholesterol
· Type 2 diabetes
· High blood pressure
Studies haven’t always backed up associations between elevated BMI and health problems, though. One study that followed 11,000 people over eight years did not find that the BMI was great at predicting who would die from a heart attack or stroke. Another heart study found that people with normal BMI and heart disease were at higher risk of death than people in the overweight BMI range. Other studies found that an elevated BMI predicted Type 2 diabetes only if you had a certain abnormal liver function test.
So what can the BMI help you with?
WHAT CAN THE BMI HELP YOU WITH?
The BMI can help you track overall trends in your weight. The calculation is more accurate for people with obesity but is less accurate for people who are in the overweight range. Other proposed ways to figure out someone’s body category for their height would be for health care providers to measure waist and neck circumference. A less practical but more accurate means is underwater weighing.
SO WHAT DETERMINES HEALTH?
While an elevated BMI might guide health care providers more broadly for people with obesity, other factors play a role in looking at overall health.
Some of these factors include:
· Genetics
· The foods you eat on a regular basis
· How much exercise you do and how frequently you do it
· How well you handle stress at home and work
· Any environmental factors like cigarette smoke or frequent alcohol use
Talk to your health care provider if you have any concerns about your weight or overall health so they can guide you.
If you want help in setting up a fitness plan, contact us at info@pittsburghfitnessproject.com to start your journey. We look forward to helping you.
References:
Schneider HJ, Friedrich N, Klotsche J, Pieper L, Nauck M, John U, et al. (April 2010). "The predictive value of different measures of obesity for incident cardiovascular events and mortality". The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism. 95 (4): 1777–1785. doi:10.1210/jc.2009-1584
Romero-Corral A, Montori VM, Somers VK, Korinek J, Thomas RJ, Allison TG, Mookadam F, Lopez-Jimenez F (August 2006). "Association of bodyweight with total mortality and with cardiovascular events in coronary artery disease: a systematic review of cohort studies". Lancet. 368 (9536): 666–678.
Lim JS, Lee DH, Park JY, Jin SH, Jacobs DR (June 2007). "A strong interaction between serum gamma-glutamyltransferase and obesity on the risk of prevalent type 2 diabetes: results from the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey". Clinical Chemistry. 53 (6): 1092–1098.