Question

g what constitutes a healthy or normal bmi? what are some of the reasons it is useful to have a single number, such as a bmi, to describe a height/weight relationship? what are the drawbacks?

Answer 1

BMI is the shortened form for Body Mass Index.

The Body Mass Index is a simple arithmetic for determining one's body fat using their height and weight.

The formula is given as

`(Weight (Kilograms))/(Height (Metres))` or

`((Weight (Pounds))/(Height (Inches)) * 703`

If an adults BMI falls within the 18.5 to 24.9 range, it is considered healthy.

One of the benefits of using BMI as a health metric is that it is so easy to compute.

Its major disadvantage is that it only accounts for height and weight which can be altered by a variety of circumstances and as such in most cases are not the best indicators of whether or not, one if healthy.

For example, a higher muscle mass will mean more weight and as such, a higher BMI. Generally speaking, more muscle and less fat is healthy. So BMI, in this case, is useless as a metric of health status.

Other factors which alter the reading of BMI are: Gender, Frame Size, Age,

Pregnancy etc.

An individual who is very muscular, pregnant, or have a large frame, will most likely have a higher BMI calculation which may indicate that one is obese or overweight when they're not.

Cheers!