How can BMI be inaccurate and misleading?
Body Mass Index’ biggest flaw is that it does not take into account the person’s body fat versus muscle (lean tissue) content. Muscle weighs more than fat (it is denser, a cubic inch of muscle weighs more than a cubic inch of fat). … A BMI calculation would class both of them as overweight.
Why is BMI so inaccurate?
BMI is not an accurate predictor of health because it does not account for body fat percentage or body fat distribution. … Measurements that are more accurate than BMI at predicting health outcomes include blood pressure, waist circumference, and cholesterol levels.
Why does my BMI say I’m overweight when I’m not?
BMI doesn’t account for body composition, which means it misses the difference between muscle mass and fat. Because muscles are more dense and heavier than fat, bodybuilders and other professional athletes like football players are often considered obese or overweight based on their BMI alone.
How accurate is BMI?
Despite 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 ).
What is more accurate than BMI?
While BMI is a rough estimate of body fat, body fat percentage is a more accurate number. BMI, but not overfat. Likewise, a person of normal weight on the BMI scales may still be overfat and at risk of weight-related diseases.
What are the limitations of using BMI?
Factors such as age, sex, ethnicity, and muscle mass can influence the relationship between BMI and body fat. Also, BMI does not distinguish between excess fat, muscle, or bone mass, nor does it provide any indication of the distribution of fat among individuals.
What is the difference between being overweight and being obese?
Being overweight or obese are both terms for having more body fat than what is considered healthy. … However, the term “obese” generally means a much higher amount of body fat than “overweight.” Everyone needs some body fat for energy, heat insulation, and other body functions.