I thought this was pretty well known already. Being “overfat” is the problem, not being overweight (though they’re often correlated). BMI is really easy to measure, and is mostly accurate, that’s why it’s so pervasive. However it remains a pretty rudimentary metric (and really should use the third power or your height instead of the second).
Yes, it is a pretty high level metric with good correlation a bunch of diseases, but really many of these is because it is ALSO correlated to percent of fat, which is often the more relevant metric. But as you said BMI is so much simpler to measure.
Many active gym people have pretty high BMIs but fairly low fat (because muscle is dense), and unsurprisingly have better outcomes than the average person (if you ignore the share that uses/overuses anabolic steroids and co)
Yeah BMI is sort of a 'good enough' technique but also has some very obvious areas that it can miss. If you fall outside the typical fat to muscle ratio is a good example.
A muscular person can be "overweight" by BMI standards but not overfat at all. This is the case for many types of athletes, specially in strength disciplines but not only. It is the case in the fitness world that people ignore BMI and are intesterested in body-fat-percentage instead. This is hard to measure accurately so not so useful metric for the general population.
Same for me, no one considers BMI to be a good indicator of anything, but it is better than nothing, and more importantly, it is super simple.
Any idiot with a bathroom scale and a measuring tape can do it. And by adulthood, height doesn't change significantly and you probably know it, so you may not even need that measuring tape. Other metrics need specialized equipment, error prone or complex procedures, etc... I don't even know how to make a waist measurement. Where exactly? How relaxed should the subject be? How long after eating?...
That's the value of BMI: simple repeatable. Not the best but enough to get and idea and make statistics.
> Studies have shown that visceral fat, which is fat that surrounds the internal organs in the abdominal area, is associated with chronic diseases like heart disease and diabetes, while subcutaneous fat, which is located directly under the skin, is not as strongly associated.
How does one determine if one has an excess of visceral fat?
For two people that are the same height, one could have X lbs of pure muscle, and one could have X lbs of pure fat, and they would have the same BMI. Color me shocked that it is not always a good predictor of disease.
The irony of BMI is that people with plenty of muscle mass are more likely to have a high BMI as well as lowered risk for heart disease.
BMI was never meant to be used as a diagnostic measure. BMI is just a rough filter for large data sets, and entirely dependent on the average height and habits of that population.
Anyone taller than about 6'3" could tell you the recommended weight according to their BMI has always been absurdly low. If it's a printed chart on the wall, they might not even be on it.
Those who fart in short, loud bursts versus those who fart slowly versus those who don’t fart at all (they have mastered the sphincter to the point they can control a slow, steady, barely audible hiss that can be disguised by a concurrent stream of pee or nearby running faucet), are correlated with higher intelligence, believed to be related to how the gut flora FEASTS on bacteria.
Many active gym people have pretty high BMIs but fairly low fat (because muscle is dense), and unsurprisingly have better outcomes than the average person (if you ignore the share that uses/overuses anabolic steroids and co)
E.g. 20% bodyfat at 250lbs is still a lot of fat.
Of course it's difficult to ever get very high on absolute fat if at 15% or below.
Any idiot with a bathroom scale and a measuring tape can do it. And by adulthood, height doesn't change significantly and you probably know it, so you may not even need that measuring tape. Other metrics need specialized equipment, error prone or complex procedures, etc... I don't even know how to make a waist measurement. Where exactly? How relaxed should the subject be? How long after eating?...
That's the value of BMI: simple repeatable. Not the best but enough to get and idea and make statistics.
How does one determine if one has an excess of visceral fat?
BMI was never meant to be used as a diagnostic measure. BMI is just a rough filter for large data sets, and entirely dependent on the average height and habits of that population.
Anyone taller than about 6'3" could tell you the recommended weight according to their BMI has always been absurdly low. If it's a printed chart on the wall, they might not even be on it.