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Why your BMI can't tell you everything about your health


Published on 2025-01-15 11:43:10 - MSN
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The article from MSN discusses the limitations of Body Mass Index (BMI) as a health indicator. While BMI has been widely used to categorize individuals into weight classes like underweight, normal, overweight, and obese, it does not account for several critical factors. These include muscle mass, bone density, body composition, and distribution of fat, which can lead to misleading health assessments. For instance, athletes or muscular individuals might be classified as overweight or obese despite having low body fat. The article highlights that BMI overlooks visceral fat, which is linked to serious health issues like heart disease and diabetes. It also points out that other metrics like waist-to-hip ratio, body fat percentage, and overall lifestyle factors such as diet, exercise, sleep, and stress levels provide a more comprehensive view of health. The piece concludes by suggesting that while BMI can be a useful initial screening tool, it should not be the sole measure for determining health or fitness, advocating for a more holistic approach to health assessment.

Read the Full MSN Article at:
[ https://www.msn.com/en-gb/health/fitness-and-exercise/why-your-bmi-can-t-tell-you-everything-about-your-health/ar-AA1xfMXL ]