Understanding Your BMI

You hear a lot about BMI. Health professionals often refer to you BMI as good, not so good, something you need to work on. News sources who usually know less about BMI than you will know when you finish this short article, often warn us about the consequences of our BMI being too high. Just what is BMI? What does BMI stand for and what does it tell me that I should know? 

BMI stands for Body Mass Index. BMI is a statistical measure developed by a Belgian astronomer and sociologist named Adoplhe Quetelet who referred to it as "social physics" and not body mass index. The term body mass index was not used until after it was referred to as such in an article by Ancel Keys in the seventies. 

Being a statistical measure, your BMI measurement actually tells little more than how you compare to an average of others. It is, nonetheless, a generally accurate indicator of your fat to lean mass ratio (your percentage of body fat) and thus an indicator of your general health risks. That said, depending on a persons body your lifestyle, your BMI can be completely misleading. Mr. Universe, for example, according to BMI charts, is obese. Ummmmmm, maybe not.

If you enjoy mathematical calculations, you can calculate your BMI using the formula W(lbs) divided by H(in.) squared times 703. Or you can simply search online for a BMI chart. 

Avoid the I have been overweight for years and I feel fine mindset. The health consequences of excess body fat are accumulative and often not realized until you 40s, 50s and beyond. Type II diabetes and heart disease, the two most consequences of failing to address a high BMI, are also two diseases most preventable by addressing your BMI through diet and exercise.  If you are not athletic and your BMI indicates that you are in the overweight/obese range, you are at a higher health risk and you should seek the counsel of a fitness specialist.