Body mass index, or BMI, has long been considered the standard for measuring how much fat a person is carrying on their body. Many physicians use this number to assess weight and risk of potential health problems such as diabetes and heart disease. The BMI is determined by dividing a person’s weight by their height squared. Not only is the calculation complicated for those of us who are math challenged, but new studies suggest that BMI may not be accurate or useful in the prediction of future health problems.
     A person with a BMI of greater than 25 is classified overweight and a person with a BMI greater than 30 is considered obese. A BMI of less than 18.5 is considered underweight and health risks are associated with being too thin as well.
     Researchers at Michigan State University measured the BMI of more than 400 college students, some were athletes and some were not, and found that in most cases BMI did not accurately reflect the amount of body fat carried by the students. Muscle is a heavy tissue and many athletes will actually weigh more than their sedentary counterparts but have very little body fat. A college linebacker who is in excellent physical shape with lots of big muscles can have a BMI that puts him in the obese category.  In contrast, someone with a normal BMI who is not physically active may have more body fat and less muscle tissue.
    The Mayo Clinic College of Medicine found that patients with a BMI in the underweight range actually had a higher risk of death from heart disease than those with a normal BMI. At the same time, patients with BMI’s that put them in the overweight category had better survival rates and fewer heart problems than those with a normal BMI. Obesity is definitely a risk factor for health problems, but health professionals may need to find more accurate measures for determining body fatness and heart disease risk.
    For instance, it has been shown that people who store extra body fat around the middle of the body are at higher risk for diabetes and heart disease. Many researchers are suggesting that measuring the waist and hips with a tape measure is a much better way to predict heart attack risk. A waist measurement of greater than 40 inches for men and 35 inches for women is linked to higher risk of type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol levels, and heart disease. To measure your waist, place the tape measure at your belly button or just slightly above and then keep the tape in a horizontal position all the way around your body. Pull the tape snug but not too tight.
    In addition, you should measure your hips at the widest point. Divide the waist measurement by the hip measurement and you get the “waist to hip ratio.” A ratio of more than 1.0 for men and .85 for women is considered high risk for health problems. For more information on the waist to hip ratio go to www.bmi-calculator.net/waist-to-hip-ratio-calculator/