Bmi is a formula that uses a persons height and weight ratio to assess whether theyre underweight normal weight overweight or obese although it is not a direct measure of body fat. What are other ways to assess excess body fatness besides bmi.
Gale Onefile Health And Medicine Document Childhood
Beside bmi what is other body measurement. Also included in this segment are statistics on overweight and obesity in the united states. Bmi is a fairly reliable measure of body fat for adults though not for everyone. Because bmi testing does have certain limits this part of the emedtv site lists some of the other ways to measure body fatness. Measuring tape and other tools can be used to assess healthy weight better than the body mass index scale. Divide your weight in kilograms by your height in meters squared. There are however other less invasive ways to establish what percentage of your body is fat free and how much fat you are carrying.
Were using an outdated inaccurate system. In other words rfm was almost as good a gauge of body fat as a specialist bit of medical equipment and all it needs is a tape. There are better ways to measure body fat than bmi. Other methods to measure body fatness include skinfold thickness measurements with calipers underwater weighing bioelectrical impedance dual energy x ray absorptiometry dxa and isotope dilution 123however these methods are not always readily available and they are either expensive or need to be conducted by highly. In the 1830s a belgian scientist invented the formula. By measuring the natural waist you can get a good indication of the amount of abdominal fat you are carrying.
Tests include body composition assessment using calipers hydrostatic or underwater weighing bioelectrical impedance testing magnetic resonance imaging or mri dual energy x ray absorption or dexa and predictions based on girth measurements. Its a measure of fat based on. One of the most effective alternatives to bmi is the old fashioned tape measure. Like a nice mutton your body gets more fatty as it gets older. Based on data from 3456 adult patients in the us the rfm measurements closely matched those taken by a high tech dxa body scan widely considered the gold standard for measuring body tissue bone muscle and fat. An undesirable bmi can mean youre at more risk of illness.
Besides considering body weight bmi is the most common way doctors and others assess whether a person has too much body fat and thus at risk for health problems. Knowing the circumference of your waist can help determine your risk of getting heart disease and other medical conditions. Photo courtesy of pixabay public domain height and weight are the two factors that determine a persons body mass index bmi a measure of body fat and general health.
Gallery of Beside Bmi What Is Other Body Measurement
