-
Q&A with Australian Health Practitioners
What is BMI and how is it a different measure than weight?
Related Topic
Why is BMI useful? -
Find a professional to answer your question
Find a professional to answer your question Search Now
-
Michael Kline
Exercise Physiologist, Exercise Scientist
I am an accredited Exercise Physiologist and have worked with a variety of clients including chronic disease, general population, athletes and corporate/workplace. To give a … View Profile
BMI is body mass index it takes your weight and divides it by your height squared. General reason this is used is that if your a healthy body weight a short person should weigh less than a tall person. This equation aims to eliminate height as a contributing factor to your weight and give you an indication of if you are a healthy weight for your height. This should be used with common sence and in conjunction with a waist line measurement. BMI is not always accurate e.g. people who have significant amounts of muscle mass.
Report this post
You must be a HealthShare member to report this post. to your account or now (it's free).
-
Laith Cunneen
Physiotherapist
The BMI is a statistical tool for comparing populations and has little, if any, relevance when assessing an individual. This is because the BMI fails to account for the influence of different tissues (i.e. fat, muscle, bone, cartilage etc).
Report this post
You must be a HealthShare member to report this post. to your account or now (it's free).
-
Chris Fonda
Dietitian, Nutritionist, Sports Dietitian
As an Accredited Sports Dietitian, APD and athlete (springboard diver), Chris has both professional and personal experience in sport at the sub-elite and elite level.Chris … View Profile
As both Michael and Laith said above BMI is a very general assessment of someones weight status. It doesn't account for lean muscle mass so an athlete who is quite muscular will have a BMI of over 25. In my practice with my clients, I use BMI but not alone. I take into account a persons waist circumference, blood fat profile and health status through a detailed medical and dietary history.
Report this post
You must be a HealthShare member to report this post. to your account or now (it's free).
You may also like these related questions
-
What's a Hip/Cam Impingement?
I've been told I might have a labral tear in my hip or cam impingement probably caused by dancing. Although I listened intently, after researching on the internet, I'm still not sure what this means. Read More -
Knees keeps buckling and is very painful. What could it be?
-
Who's the best surgeon for an ankle reconstruction?
