Friday, August 18, 2006
from the pages of "duh!" magazine...
New data suggests BMI can't distinguish between fat, muscle:
If a person were to go only by BMI measurements, then Sylvester Stallone - said to be 5'9", though there are conflicting reports - had a BMI of 25.8 during his Rocky III days, in which he weighed 175 pounds. According to the National Institute of Health, a BMI measurement of 25.8 is considered overweight. Okay, only slightly overweight, but still it doesn't even begin to look at muscle mass vs. fat mass.
I still fervently believe that the best thing folks can do for their health is exercise and eat a variety of healthful foods and, provided there aren't physical problems that interfere, the body will do what it's meant to do. I'm a fan of moderation in all things. Sometimes I even follow my own advice (though not often enough - I'm still a big girl, by any standards).
But just as there is no magic pill that will cause all the fat to melt away without side effects, there is no one measurement of weight and mass that is truly reliable .
Banish the BMI...
BMI is determined by dividing a person's weight in kilograms by height in meters squared. A BMI between 18.5 and 24.9 is considered healthy, while anything over 25 is said to indicate obesity. For example, a 5-foot-9-inch person weighing 170 pounds has a BMI of just over 25.I've always felt that BMI is a bogus measurement for this very reason.
If a person were to go only by BMI measurements, then Sylvester Stallone - said to be 5'9", though there are conflicting reports - had a BMI of 25.8 during his Rocky III days, in which he weighed 175 pounds. According to the National Institute of Health, a BMI measurement of 25.8 is considered overweight. Okay, only slightly overweight, but still it doesn't even begin to look at muscle mass vs. fat mass.
I still fervently believe that the best thing folks can do for their health is exercise and eat a variety of healthful foods and, provided there aren't physical problems that interfere, the body will do what it's meant to do. I'm a fan of moderation in all things. Sometimes I even follow my own advice (though not often enough - I'm still a big girl, by any standards).
But just as there is no magic pill that will cause all the fat to melt away without side effects, there is no one measurement of weight and mass that is truly reliable .
Banish the BMI...
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