Is Your BMI Misclassifying Your Body Fat?

For years, individuals have been concerned with the number on the scale.  More recently BMI has been the gold standard for calculating body fat, but a recent study suggests that BMI calculations are misclassifying roughly half of women and just over 20% of men as healthy when their body-fat composition suggests they are obese.

What is BMI and is it an accurate measurement of your health?

BMI is a measure of body fat based on height and weight, but it does not measure the percentage of body fat—the ideal measure of obesity.  BMI only takes into consideration weight and height, not age, gender or muscle mass; and it does not distinguish between lean body mass and fat mass. 

A professional athlete may be overweight according to BMI standards, even without a high percentage of body fat, because of the size and mass of their muscles.  Likewise, an elderly person may have a healthy BMI even though muscle mass has been lost due to aging.  BMI can also classify moderate weight individuals as healthy even when an individual has high body-fat percentages.

BMI dates back to the 19th century when it was developed to compare populations, such as comparing the average weight of adults in the Russia to the average weight of adults in Italy.  It was never intended for individual measurements.  Nevertheless, it became a popular tool and was thought to be a better determiner of healthy body weight than weight alone because it height takes into consideration.

A person's BMI is a measure of his/her weight in relation to his/her height.  To calculate your BMI, divide your weight in pounds by your height in inches squared then multiply 703 or use an online calculator.  A BMI of less than 18.5 or less is classified as underweight; a BMI of 18.5 to 24.9 is a healthy weight; a BMI of 25 to 29.9 is overweight; and a BMI of over 30 indicates obesity.

Based on new research, some medical professionals are lobbying for a change in the way body fat is measured.  One of the most accurate measurements of healthy weight is body composition, which measures body fat and calculates the percentage of lean muscle mass.  These factors, along with weight, height, age and gender provide a clearer picture of a person’s current health status, risk potential and areas for improvement.

Wellness Workdays’ Total Body Composition Management System is the first and only standardized method for individuals – as well as organizations – to consistently measure and monitor body composition with clinical-grade accuracy.  It’s non-invasive, repeatable and easy to use. Employees can precisely measure body composition (body fat), lean muscle mass and hydration levels.

It’s important to remember that body fat alone is only one factor in leading a healthy life.  Family history and harmful habits such as smoking must be taken into consideration to provide an overall health evaluation. Share your thoughts on BMI and body fat.