The Body Mass Index (BMI) is a measure that uses your height and weight to work out if your weight is healthy. Body mass index applies to most adult men and women aged 20 and over. For children aged 2 and over, BMI percentile is the best assessment of body fat.
It is important to know that BMI does not measure body fat directly. However, research indicates that BMI correlates to direct measures of body fat. BMI takes into account natural variations in body shape, giving a healthy weight range for a particular height. Many athletes, body builders and other very muscular people will find themselves in overweight or obese categories due to the fact that muscle is much denser than fat. In addition, you should not use BMI as a measure if you’re pregnant. Get advice from your midwife or GP if you’re concerned about your weight.
- The Quetelet Index was devised by Adolphe Quetelet, a Belgian mathematician, astronomer and statistician, in 1832. It was later termed “body mass index” in 1972 by Ancel Keys.
- BMI is a simple, inexpensive and noninvasive surrogate measure of body fat.
- Factors such as age, sex, ethnicity and muscle mass are not accounted for in BMI.
- For adults 20 years and older, BMI is interpreted by using standard weight status categories that are the same for all ages, and for both men and women.
- BMI is a reasonable indicator of body fat for both adults and children.
- Because BMI does not measure body fat directly, it should not be used as a diagnostic tool.
BMI should be used as a measure to track weight status in populations and as a screening tool to identify potential weight problems in individuals.
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