![]() ![]() However, muscle is about 18 percent more dense than fat, so this is clearly not true. One problem with BMI is that it does not distinguish between muscle and fat.Ĭonsider that a person who does no exercise is 1.83 m, or 6 feet, tall and weighs 92 kg, or 203 pounds (lb), would have a BMI of 27.Īn Olympic athlete who is 1.83 m, or 6 feet, tall and weighs 96 kg, or 211 lb, would have a BMI of 28.Īccording to this, the athlete is more “overweight” than the person who does no exercise. However, he believes this new calculation gives a closer approximation to the reality of human shape and size. Humans are too complex to be described by a single figure. Trefethen points out that any calculation that assigns one number to a person will not be perfect. divides the weight by height to the power of 2.5, instead of 2, or squaredīMI (metric) = 1.3 x weight (kg) / height (m) 2.5īMI (imperial) = 5,734 x weight (lb) / height (in) 2.5.multiplies the weight by 1.3 for metric measures (kg), or by 5,734 for imperial measures (lb).He recommends a “new BMI calculator” that: The result is that short people think they are thinner than they really are, while tall people think they are fatter than they are. The height term, he says, divides the weight by too much when people are short and by too little when they are tall. Trefethen argued that the formula leads to confusion and misinformation. In 2013, Nick Trefethen, a mathematician from Oxford University in the United Kingdom, wrote a letter to The Economist in which he questioned the usefulness of the current BMI formula, calling it a “bizarre measure.” After all, people are three-dimensional, not two-dimensional, and healthy bodies grow in different shapes and sizes. Now, some people argue, we have technology that can help us add some complexity to the calculation. When Quetelet devised the BMI formula, there were no computers, calculators, or electronic devices, so he developed a simple system. For more information about BMI percentile and growth charts for children, visit. However, you should ask your family doctor, pediatrician, or other health care provider about your child's BMI percentile and whether they are at risk for disease. For example, a child may have a high BMI for age and gender, but to determine if excess fat is a problem, a health care provider would need to perform further assessments.Ī BMI percentile will not tell you if your child has or will get a disease. For children, BMI is used to screen for overweight, healthy weight, or underweight. A child or teen that is at the 95th percentile or above is considered overweight. A child or teen that is between the 85th and 95th percentile on the growth chart is considered at risk of overweight. The growth charts use a child's BMI, age, and sex to produce a BMI percentile.Ī child's BMI percentile shows how his or her BMI compares with other boys or girls of the same age. ![]() ![]() So, BMI for children 2 to 20 years old is determined by using a BMI chart that compares their weight and height along with growth charts. Children are still growing, and boys and girls develop at different rates. BMI for Childrenįor children and teens, overweight is defined differently than it is for adults. Or use the BMI tables on the Aim for a Healthy Weight website. Use a BMI calculator for adults and learn your BMI by entering your height and body weight. They would not be considered obese from the perspective of health risk. Big athletes with lots of muscle might have a BMI over 30, but may still have a healthy body composition. People who are obese (BMI of 30 or above) almost always have a large amount of body fat in relation to their height. People who are overweight (BMI of 25 to 29.9) have too much body weight for their height. Body Mass Index (BMI) is calculated from your height and weight and is a useful measure of overweight and obesity. Materials for Ethnically Diverse Populationsįor adults, a healthy weight is defined as the appropriate body weight in relation to height.Materials to Share With Children and Teens.Resources About Public Programs and Policy. ![]()
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