bmi is a tool that estimates body fat based on height and weight measures of individuals. as bmi increases so does your risk for heart disease high blood pressure type 2 diabetes and certain cancers. but this tool is not perfect. it can overestimate body fat in individuals who are very lean but weigh more like athletes and it can underestimate body fat in people who are thin but have low muscle tone. bmi is calculated from your height and weight and is used as an indirect screening tool for body fat and risk of diseases or other health conditions. bmi does have its limitations however as some individuals such as athletes may have a high bmi because of increased muscle mass. as a result they might have a high bmi but not a high percentage of body fat. there are other more direct measurement techniques for body fat percentage; some of which include: • underwater weighing • air displacement • dual energy x-ray • bioelectrical impedance • skinfold measurements there are however trade-offs with each method. the more accurate methods tend to require specialized equipment that can be very expensive and require additional training and take longer to implement. the quicker and cheaper methods may not require much additional training but may not be as accurate. researchers have to choose which method will best fit their needs. let's just keep it simple. if your waist is above 45% of your height you are too fat and if you work on just that number you will become lean and healthy. for example a man who is 72" tall (6') need to keep his waist under 32" and a woman who is 68" tall (5"8") needs to keep her waist under 30". just measure your height in inches and multiply times. 45. another easy way is if your pants waist is not smaller than your pants length it is time to eat less and exercise more. mike at everyouncecounts@gmail. com
what's the relationship between bmi and body fat?