What You Need to Know About Body Mass Index
THERE IS NO “PERFECT WEIGHT” that applies to all of us. Body Mass Index (BMI) measures how healthy your weight is, based on your height. BMI has become a standard health assessment tool in my radiation oncology office and many healthcare facilities. But is BMI outdated?
We begin with a definition of BMI. Body mass index measures body fat based on height and weight that applies to adult men and women. If you want to calculate your BMI, there are many online resources. For example, the US National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute offers this remarkably easy-to-use one:
Belgian mathematician Lambert Adolphe Jacques Quetelet developed the Body Mass Index in 1832. He aimed to estimate the degree of overweight and obesity in populations quickly. This determination would help government optimize health resources and financial allocations.
Quetelet did not view BMI as particularly useful for studying individuals; to him, it provided a snapshot of a population’s general health. It is impressive that nearly two centuries later, we still use BMI.
