Monday, April 24, 2006

Body Mass Index is far from perfect

Dr. Arya M. Sharma, an obesity researcher at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.
says BMI (Body Mass Index) doesn't take into account the amount of muscle a person has, and is less accurate in older people, who lose muscle and bone and gain fat with age. It is also less accurate in certain ethnic groups, such as Asians, because their body fat percentage at various BMIs differs from that of Caucasians.

The BMI doesn't take into account the amount of muscle a person has, and is less accurate in older people, who lose muscle and bone and gain fat with age. It is also less accurate in certain ethnic groups, such as Asians, because their body fat percentage at various BMIs differs from that of Caucasians.

Bonnie - it's nice that the medical community is finally starting to realize this. I have never been an ardent supporter of BMI. While Dr. Sharma is on the right track, there are even more variables involved in assessing weight.

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