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The Drawbacks of Using BMI to Measure Health
By Paige Waehner Paige Waehner Paige Waehner is a certified personal trainer, author of the "Guide to Become a Personal Trainer"; and co-author of "The Buzz on Exercise & Fitness." Learn about our editorial process Updated on December 31, 2021 Medically reviewed Verywell Fit articles are reviewed by board-certified physicians and nutrition and exercise healthcare professionals. Medical Reviewers confirm the content is thorough and accurate, reflecting the latest evidence-based research.
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Content is reviewed before publication and upon substantial updates. Learn more. by Vanessa Nzeh, MD Medically reviewed by
Vanessa Nzeh, MD Vanessa Nzeh, MD, is an internal medicine and pediatrics physician who is passionate about patient advocacy, the integration of maternal and child health, as well as increasing diversity and inclusion in medical education.
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Learn about our Medical Review Board Print Jamie Grill / Getty Images Body mass index or BMI is a calculation that determines weight status in adults by using your weight and height. The result tells you if you're underweight, at a healthy weight, overweight or obese. A body mass index: Over 40 is considered morbidly obeseOver 30 is considered to be obeseBetween 25 and 29.9 is considered overweightBetween 18.5 and 24.9 is considered a healthy BMIUnder 18.5 is considered underweight You can easily calculate your BMI by entering your measurements into an online calculator.
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The Drawbacks of Using BMI The BMI formula is so simple; it's easy to use by just about everyone. However, it's that simplicity that makes it inaccurate because it only takes into account your height and weight.
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Whether you're overweight or not requires much more information than just your height and weight. Here are all the things that this BMI formula can get wrong: How Much Muscle You Have: The more you have, the higher your BMI will be, even though you may be healthyFrame Size: A person with a big frame will have a higher BMI, although they may still be healthyGender: At the same BMI, women will usually have more body fat than menAge: At the same BMI, an older person will usually have more fat than younger adultsIf You're an Athlete: At the same BMI, athletes will usually have less body fat than people who aren't athletes.
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If you're very muscular, pregnant, or have a large frame, your BMI calculation may show you as overweight or obese, even when you're not. How your body fat is distributed is also important for predicting your risk of heart disease, obesity-related illnesses, and death.
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It's a good idea to use various tools to determine how healthy your weight and body fat is, including waist-to-hip ratio and/or your body fat percentage. What is the Average Weight for Women? Is BMI on Its Way Out BMI has been a valuable research tool on large populations because it is easy for researchers to obtain the measurements necessary for computing BMI.
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However, its usefulness when applied to individuals has come into question. There's definitely a call to get rid of BMI as the only measurement of a person's weight status, and perhaps someday, insurance companies will do so.
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More importantly, when you and your doctor assess your current health status today, there's already no reason to rely on BMI alone. The findings suggest that about 34.4 million Americans are considered overweight based on BMI, and 19.8 million are considered obese. Talk to your doctor about taking other factors into account, like your activity level, frame size, waist-to-hip ratio, and body fat percentage.
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A Word From Verywell As mentioned above, BMI doesn't take into account all of the factors that make us healthy. What's even more disturbing is that many companies in the U.S. use employees' BMI as a factor in determining their health care costs.
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So, a person with a high BMI may pay higher premiums, even though it isn't clear whether that person is genuinely overweight and unhealthy or not. There's a call to get rid of BMI as a way to measure health and weight and, because of this study, we may see that happen.
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Why BMI May Not Be the Best Metric Sources Verywell Fit uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
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Tomiyama, AJ, JM Hunger, and J. Nguyen-Cuu.
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Misclassification of Cardiometabolic Health When Using Body Mass Index Categories in NHANES 2005–2012. International Journal of Obesity (2016).
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02 Feb. 09.
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By Paige Waehner
Paige Waehner is a certified personal trainer, author of the "Guide to Become a Personal Trainer," and co-author of "The Buzz on Exercise & Fitness." See Our Editorial Process Meet Our Review Board Share Feedback Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! What is your feedback?
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Other Helpful Report an Error Submit Related Articles Ideal Weight Calculator: Weight, Height, and BMI Charts What is the Average Weight for Women? What Does It Mean to Be Underweight? BMI and Kids: Should You Care?
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How to Measure Your Waist-to-Hip Ratio What Is the Average Weight for Men? How to Use Quick Body Measurements to Calculate Body Fat Percentage Why BMI May Not Be the Best Metric Calculate Your Body Mass Index (BMI) With Our Calculator What Waist Circumference Can Tell You About Your Health Body Composition: What You Need to Know 13 Food Choices That Can Help You Gain Weight Quickly and Safely What Is the Average Height for Men? How to Measure Body Fat With Hydrostatic Underwater Weighing Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR): Calculations and How to Use Them What is Fasted Cardio: Evidence-Based Benefits and Risks When you visit the site, Dotdash Meredith and its partners may store or retrieve information on your browser, mostly in the form of cookies.
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