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Introduced for the first time in the 19th century, body mass index has been used to define obesity in the United States for decades. Now a new study questions the secular standard.
Two out of five American adults live with obesity. Obesity can increase the risk of cardiovascular diseaseDiabetes, cancer and other chronic health problems. Also known as “BMI”, it is a calculated measurement body weight of a person divided by his size to determine obesity.
BMI has recently been the subject of a more in -depth examination Regarding his methodology, his history and what he says about patients and their health. During the summer Olympic games of last year, US Rugby Star Ilona Maher Make waves when she said that her BMI was technically listed as overweight, although he was one of the best athletes in the world.
“I am considered overweight. But alas, I go to the Olympic Games, and you are not,” posted the bronze medal on Tiktok.
A new study attracts the effectiveness of the calculation in question, researchers from the University of Florida Health suggest that it is “deeply defective” and do not predict the risk of future death.
“This study changes the game,” said Dr. Arch Mainous, professor and vice-president of research in the community of community health and family medicine in the community and family medicine department of the University of Florida statement. “This is the ultimate test of coke against Pepsi. And BMI failed. “
Mainous was the main author of the study, which was recently published in the journal Annals of family medicine.
Instead, they concluded that a direct body fat measurement using a fairly cheap device which resumes the resistance of body tissue to a small electric current is much more precise. The method is known as “bioelectric impedance analysis”, and many models of devices are less than $ 300. They are in certain primary care practices.
Although doctors wish to use direct measures such as Dexa analyzes, they are not widely available and machines cost tens of thousands of dollars. Dexa means the double energy X-ray absorptiometry and is “considered as the ordeal to measure body fat”.
“But it will never be viable in the office of a doctor or a family office,” said Mainous.
Using data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, which is linked to the national death, massive and co-author index has examined the health of 4,252 people.
They determined that people with body fat, measured by bioelectric impedance, were 78% more likely to die from any cause than those with healthy body fat in the 15 years they were followed. These individuals were also three times more likely to die of heart disease.
On the other hand, there was no statistically significant association with the risk of mortality at 15 years because of any cause, including heart disease, when the BMI is used.
The researchers said that the two methods had been analyzed in a way that removes the effects of age, race and income.
They pointed out that BMI can classify some people with a “normal” BMI, even when they have a high percentage of body fat. A normal weight is a BRI between 18.5 and 24.9, overweight is between 25 and 29.9 and obesity is all value 30 and more.
In addition, the main author, Dr. Frank Orlando, medical director of the University of Florida Health Family Medicine – Springhill, noted that BMI cannot distinguish between muscle and fat mass, providing only indirect indication.
“For example, people who are culturalists can really raise their body mass index,” said Orlando. “But they are healthy even with a BMI indicating that they are obese.”
In particular, the practice old centuries does not take into account For how race, ethnicity and sex affect variations in body size and fat percentage.
“The BMI is so anchored in the way we think of body fat,” added Mainous. “I think the study shows that it is time to go to an alternative that has proven to be much better at work.”
