Discrimination is one of the social determinants of health - the conditions in daily life that affect our health - and it can and does contribute to health inequities. Still, it should not be the only diagnostic tool used ( 18, 19).Īlthough studies often suggest that obesity is a risk factor for certain health conditions, they rarely account for the role weight stigma and discrimination play in health. Other studies have shown that a BMI greater than 30.0 begins to significantly increase the risk of chronic health issues such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease, breathing difficulties, kidney disease, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, and mobility issues ( 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13).įurthermore, a 5–10% reduction in a person’s BMI has been associated with decreased rates of metabolic syndrome, heart disease, and type 2 diabetes ( 14, 15, 16, 17).ĭue to most research showing an increased chronic disease risk among people who have obesity, many health professionals can use BMI as a general snapshot of a person’s risk. The researchers also found that those who were in the “underweight” category and the “severely obese” or “extremely obese” categories died an average of 6.7 years and 3.7 years earlier, respectively, than those in the “normal” BMI category ( 6). A BMI of 18.5–24.9 is considered “normal” weight with a low risk of poor health, while anything above or below may indicate a higher risk of poor health.ĭespite concerns that BMI doesn’t accurately identify whether a person is healthy, most studies show that a person’s risk of chronic disease and premature death does increase with a BMI lower than 18.5 (“underweight”) or of 30.0 or greater (“obese”) ( 4, 5).įor example, a 2017 retrospective study of 103,218 deaths found that the people who had a BMI of 30.0 or greater (“obese”) had 1.5–2.7 times greater risk of death after a 30-year follow-up ( 4).Īnother study of 16,868 people showed that those in the “obese” BMI category had a 20% increased risk of death from all causes and heart disease, compared with those in the “normal” BMI category ( 6). Summaryīody mass index (BMI) is a calculation that estimates a person’s body fat using their height and weight. Though this can give the healthcare professional a snapshot of a person’s health based on a person’s weight, it doesn’t consider other factors, such as age, sex, race, genetics, fat mass, muscle mass, and bone density. For example, Asian men and women have been shown to be at a higher risk of heart disease at a lower BMI, compared with non-Asians ( 3). Some countries have adopted this BMI scale to better represent the size and stature of their populations. Once BMI is calculated, it’s then compared to the BMI scale to determine whether you fall within the “normal” weight range ( 2):Īccording to this calculation, a healthcare professional may suggest health and lifestyle changes if you don’t fall within the “normal” weight category. You can also use an online BMI calculator, such as the one provided by the National Institutes of Health. BMI = (weight (lbs) / height (in 2)) x 703. ![]() The BMI scale is based on a mathematical formula that determines whether a person is of a “healthy” weight by dividing their weight in kilograms by their height in meters squared ( 1):Īlternatively, BMI can be calculated by dividing weight in pounds by height in inches squared and multiplying by 703: Nevertheless, it’s widely used to measure individuals’ health ( 1). Interestingly, Quetelet stated that BMI was not useful in studying single individuals but rather in giving a snapshot of a population’s overall health. He developed the BMI scale to quickly estimate the degree of overweight and obesity in a given population to help governments decide where to allocate health and financial resources ( 1). “BMI” stands for “ body mass index.” The BMI was developed in 1832 by a Belgian mathematician named Lambert Adolphe Jacques Quetelet ( 1).
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