![]() While BMI alone can’t be used for diagnosis, some research suggests that BMI is accurate in predicting the risk of conditions such as high blood pressure and diabetes, hence its use as an initial screening measure. Weight Loss Plateaus Are Part of the Process-Here’s How to Navigate Them What BMI Metrics Can and Can’t Tell You However, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), BMI “does not diagnose the body fatness or health of an individual.” Two centuries later, BMI is still used to screen for weight categories-healthy (18.5-24.9), underweight (below 18.5), overweight (25-29.9), and obese (above 30)-that may be associated with certain health issues. (If you’re not one for the metric system or mental math, you can always use an online BMI calculator.)Īs for its origins, BMI was first introduced in the early 19th century by a Belgian mathematician named Lambert Adolphe Jacques Quetelet, who created the formula as a simple way to help the government measure obesity rates in the general population-not in individual people-to determine the distribution of health-related resources. Technically speaking, the formula for BMI is weight in kilograms divided by height in meters squared. However, there are plenty of other factors that can affect your risk of these conditions BMI is simply one among several pieces of the puzzle. We do know that high BMIs are often linked to multiple chronic conditions, including high blood pressure, diabetes, and heart disease. But, aside from weight and height, what can BMI calculators really capture about your health? BMI was even used as eligibility criteria for receiving a COVID-19 vaccine when the shots were first being given. ![]() If you’ve ever walked into a doctor’s office, you’ve probably seen a body mass index (BMI) chart on the wall or listened to your physician explain which BMI category you fit into.
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