| Some experts use a number called the BMI (Body | | | | average build, BMI is a pretty useful number. If you |
| Mass Index) to determine whether a person is at a | | | | aren't average, it is misleading. |
| healthy weight to prevent excess fat and reduce the | | | | Many top athletes have large frames and are heavily |
| risk of disease. The question is, should you be more | | | | muscled, with little body fat. Thanks to the weight of all |
| concerned with BMI or with your body fat percentage | | | | their muscle, they often have a Body Mass Index of |
| if you are looking for the best health? By looking at | | | | over 25. This number indicates that they are likely fat |
| how these two numbers are determined, we can | | | | and at increased risk of disease, even though they are |
| figure out which one you should be most concerned | | | | actually some of the fittest and healthiest people on |
| with. | | | | the face of the Earth. Clearly, there are some |
| BMI is a relationship between your height and weight. | | | | problems with blindly relying on Body Mass Index. |
| To calculate it, you need to know your weight in | | | | Body fat percentage is harder to determine than BMI. |
| kilograms and your height in meters. Once you know | | | | The index just requires you to plug height and weight |
| those two things, you divide your weight by the square | | | | into an equation, while there is no 100% accurate way |
| of your height. The result is a single number known as | | | | to measure body fat. Still, any of the techniques for |
| your BMI. | | | | measuring the Body Fat Percentage are attempts to |
| Research has shown that a BMI of greater than 25 | | | | directly measure the thing we're most concerned |
| tends to be associated with excess body fat and an | | | | about. |
| increased risk of disease. It is easy to find your height | | | | Remember the top athletes we talked about earlier? |
| and weight, and from that calculate your Body Mass | | | | They might have a BMI that says they are overweight, |
| Index. Concentrating on getting this number under 25 | | | | but any decent measurement of their percentage of |
| seems to be a good way to get fit. But there's a | | | | body fat will correctly show them to have very low |
| problem. | | | | body fat and be very fit. Clearly, body fat percentage, |
| BMI only takes into account your height and weight. It | | | | while harder to measure exactly, is the more important |
| says nothing about your body composition. It knows | | | | of the two numbers for maintaining a lean body and |
| nothing about how muscular you are or the size of | | | | minimizing your risk of disease. |
| your frame. If you are an average person with an | | | | |
