The end result is cheaper, faster scientific research and a greater volume of scientific studies into obesity. Despite having a normal body weight, these people often have a higher-than-normal risk of conditions like heart disease.
As we said above, BMI is designed specifically to provide accurate data on body weight and obesity in large samples of the general population. However, its third disadvantage is that it may not provide accurate data for people who are very tall or very short. And for short-statured people, the opposite is true. One way to think of BMI is as a signal of potential weight problems.
This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. The information contained herein is not a substitute for and should never be relied upon for professional medical advice. Always talk to your doctor about the risks and benefits of any treatment.
BMI takes into account natural variations in body shape, giving a healthy weight range for a particular height. As well as measuring your BMI, healthcare professionals may take other factors into account when assessing if you're a healthy weight. Muscle is much denser than fat, so very muscular people, such as heavyweight boxers, weight trainers and athletes, may be a healthy weight even though their BMI is classed as obese. Your ethnic group can also affect your risk of some health conditions.
For example, adults of South Asian origin may have a higher risk of some health problems, such as diabetes, with a BMI of 23, which is usually considered healthy. To change or withdraw your consent choices for VerywellFit. At any time, you can update your settings through the "EU Privacy" link at the bottom of any page. These choices will be signaled globally to our partners and will not affect browsing data.
We and our partners process data to: Actively scan device characteristics for identification. I Accept Show Purposes. Table of Contents View All. Table of Contents. What Is BMI? How It's Measured. Benefits of a Normal BMI. Other Measurement Methods.
Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Sign Up. What are your concerns? Verywell Fit uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. Related Articles. What is the Average Weight for Women? The 10 Best Body Fat Monitors of What Is the Average Weight for Men? For example, the study mentioned above did not consider conditions that might also be relevant to an individual with an elevated BMI, such as liver disease or arthritis.
In addition, BMI may be more useful at predicting future rather than current health. Those who are healthy and overweight or obese are more likely to develop diabetes or other negative health consequences over time, according to studies such as this one and this one. The current BMI definitions of overweight or obesity were based largely on white populations. Yet body composition, including percent body fat or amount of muscle mass, can vary by race and ethnic group.
So, BMI may help predict health status among people who are white, but may be less accurate for people in other racial and ethnic groups. For example, defining obesity by standard measures of BMI tends to overestimate risk in Black individuals and underestimate it for those of Asian descent.
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