New study suggests metabolic measures better than BMI for overall health assessment

New study suggests metabolic measures better than BMI for overall health assessment


You might be familiar with the term Body Mass Index, or BMI. It’s a number that represents the amount of tissue in a person’s body, relative to their height. A BMI score is often treated as a benchmark indicator of someone’s overall health. Is that fair? Arguably, no.

Critics point out that BMI was developed as a tool for comparing populations, not assessing individuals.

They also question whether BMI should automatically classify heavier people as unhealthy, without regard to factors such as body fat percentage or cardiovascular capacity.

A study published recently in the International Journal of Obesity will give critics new incentive to demand the end of BMI as a standalone health indicator.

In the study, researchers analyzed health profiles on about 40,000 adult Americans who took part in national health surveys from 2005 through 2012.

These profiles included results from tests evaluating blood pressure, cholesterol levels, insulin resistance and other metabolic factors.

The researchers found that 47 percent of the people that BMI called overweight were healthy in terms of metabolic indicators.

Even worse, 31 percent of the participants who were considered normal by BMI standards were UNHEALTHY by metabolic standards.

The researchers concluded that metabolic markers provide a more accurate picture of overall health than BMI calculations, though they are more expensive.

What’s unclear is whether metabolic testing is the most cost-effective option for replacing or supplementing BMI.

So keep exercising, eat nutritious foods and remember that BMI not the only measure of good health.

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