BMI

August 29, 8:59 PMNashville Healthy Living ExaminerMegan McInnis

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Provided by TN Department of Health

It seems everyone has heard of BMI. But not many can say what it is or what BMI is good or bad.

BMI is the Body Mass Index. According to the NIH, the National Institutes of Health, BMI is “a measure of body fat based on height and weight that applies to both adult men and women.” It is controversial due to its “limits.” As stated on the NIH website, the limits are “It may overestimate body fat in athletes and others who have a muscular build,” and “It may underestimate body fat in older persons and others who have lost muscle mass.” Regardless of the controversy, if too much or too little body fat is measured in the BMI, it can be a risk factor for all kinds of health issues.

BMI measurements fall into one of four categories for adults. If BMI measures under 18.5, the person is underweight. If the BMI calculates between 18.5 and 24.9, then the person is considered to have normal weight. The person is overweight, however, if it measures between 25 and 29.9. And, if it is 30 or greater, the individual is obese.

BMI currently plays a prominent role in the fight against childhood obesity. According to the Tennessee Department of Education, “since the amount of body fat changes with age and is different for boys and girls, the BMI number for children is interpreted differently than for adults. BMI, for children, is interpreted using age and sex specific percentages.” Again different from adults, “BMI categories for children and adolescents include underweight, healthy weight, at-risk for overweight and overweight. The ‘at-risk for overweight’ and ‘overweight’ categories for children’s BMI are designated ‘overweight’ and ‘obese’ categories for adults.” According to the CDC, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “children who have a BMI for age that is greater than the 95th percentile as ‘overweight’ and children who have a BMI for age that is between the 85th– 94th percentiles as ‘at risk for overweight’.”

BMI can be calculated at any gym, doctor’s office, school or online. What to do with the measurements, however, is left to the individual. To promote a consistent, healthy lifestyle, it is good to track BMI over a lifetime. However, it is not a diagnostic tool. BMI should be discussed with a doctor and how it may align with other, potential risk factors.

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