![]() He emphasized that BMI "should always be interpreted alongside other health parameters". Yet, the imperative remains that one's health should not be measured in isolation. "In an analysis of a nationally representative sample, we observed a strong correlation (0.90) between BMI with DEXA-measured body fat mass", Hu stated. However, as Frank Hu, chair of the Department of Nutrition at the Chan School notes, discrepancies in BMI accuracy do not affect most people significantly. Other experts are pushing for better methods like DEXA scans, known to be more precise in measuring body fat but are less practical in clinical settings due to their complexity. "How does this number relate to your cholesterol values? How does this number relate to your blood sugar?". "Working with an individual patient I say, ‘Let’s look at who you are, as it relates to this number,’” Stanford explained in the Harvard Gazette. Yet, there's a growing chorus discrediting BMI as too reductionist for individual health assessment. ![]() The index became widely used after insurance companies picked it up in the '30s and '40s, with a significant boost in the '70s from physiologist Ancel Keys who propagated it in health research circles. Chan School of Public Health’s professor of epidemiology and nutrition, Walter C. ![]() "For tracking changes in populations over time, it’s pretty much all we’ve got," Harvard T.H. Fast forward to the current day, and the American Medical Association has triggered new discussions by officially recognizing BMI's flaws in a clinical setting, particularly regarding racial and ethnic differences, as well as age and gender.ĭespite its pitfalls, BMI has remained a staple in health assessments, in part due to its simplicity. The goal of Quetelet, who wasn't originally even targeting such a universal audience, was to quickly to assess health risks for a specific group-white Scottish soldiers back in the 1800s. "It really got its origins from a Belgian statistician by the name of Adolphe Quetelet", Fatima Cody Stanford, an obesity doctor and Harvard Medical School professor, told the Harvard Gazette. It turns out BMI, a simple calculation based on height, weight, and sex, was never intended to be a one-size-fits-all yardstick. According to a Harvard Gazette article, professionals are advocating for a more nuanced take on health assessments, one that doesn't solely rely on this centuries-old metric. However, the age-old benchmark of BMI (Body Mass Index) is now being scrutinized by health experts who suggest that it may not be the holy grail of fitness goals. ![]() As the New Year unfolds, many folks are doubling down on their health and weight loss resolutions. ![]()
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