The BMI Explained: How Useful Is It Really? : Huffington Post

The BMI is a measure used to determine if you are a healthy weight for your height. It is calculated by dividing your weight in kilograms by your height in metres squared, to place you in a category of underweight, healthy weight, overweight or obese.

 But is it useful or does it give us misleading and inaccurate information about our health?

Professor Garry Jennings, National CEO of The Heart Foundation, told The Huffington Post Australia the BMI is an effective measure to determine whether a person is overweight or obese.

“Most people with a high BMI are overweight or obese,” he said.

However, this should be taken with a small pinch of salt. Margaret Hays, Accredited Practising Dietitian and Spokesperson for the Dietitians Association of Australia, told HuffPost Australia the BMI is more useful for measuring populations rather than individuals.

 

Source: The BMI Explained: How Useful Is It Really? : Huffington Post