Is your BMI a good way to track your health and fitness?

Short answer - NO.

BMI (Body Mass Index) in my opionin is an outdated and potentially damaging way of assessing a huge population of people with nothing taken into account other than the height and weight of an individual.

For example, an extremely fit rugby player who is muscular could have a BMI of 30 which would put them as obese, where as an unfit person who has a sedentary lifestyle and is relatively overweight could actually have a BMI of 24. The issue is that the BMI assessment does not take into account your body composition - the amount of muscle, fat and water that is actually in your body.

This can lead to individuals who in fact are very healthy and do not need to lose any weight being told that they need to so they can fall in the ‘normal’ range. This is what contributes to negative self-image, low self-esteem, eating disorders, body dysmorphia and the list goes on.

However common sense does need to prevail here, even though common sense is hard to come by in todays world. If you are under the normal range of 18.5 and are very ‘skinny’, you may infact need to gain a little weight. Just as if your BMI is at 29/30 and you can’t see your toes due to your stomach, then the chances are you need to actually lose a few lbs.

When using the BMI method we really just need to take it with a pinch of salt. I would say I am very fit and healthy, but due to my weight/body composition and height I am actually classes as obese. When I look in the mirror or asses my fitness level it is clear to me that I am certainly not obese, definitely not overweight either. So this is where the BMI fails society, but instead of over reacting and going non a crash diet to lose a few lbs to get in the ‘normal’ range I am going to keep on living my life and enjoying the exercise I do along with the odd cake I have.

As we are aware, 1lb of muscle will take up a smaller area than 1lb of fat. This is part of the problem with BMI, so if your BMI says you are overweight/obese. Just use your head a little bit and if you are an avid gym goer, sports person or overall fit person, then you really don’t need to let it worry you to much.

BMI is for the extrenmly overweight peoiple to be told they need to lose weight and the extremely skinny people who need to gain weight. Both ends of this spectrum are all about getting people back to a healthy weight to live a healthy life.

If you are unsure or have any questions just drop me a message using the link below.