the latest research shows that it's not bmi that is the best way to predict your health and wellbeing as it relates to weight. it's what i have been saying all along--- body composition. i'd rather we spend all of our time tracking body fat and muscle mass. bmi says nothing about how much fat or muscle you're carrying (you could have a normal bmi and high body fat) nor does it tell you anything about where the body fat is distributed--- belly buttocks etc. a simple tape measure does the trick. a waist to hip ratio tells you more than bmi. therefore i recommend everyone out there arm themselves with a tape measure for measuring your girth (wrap around your belly button and women are striving for less than 35" and men less than 40"). higher numbers are related to higher risk for heart disease diabetes and cancer. then hop on a body comp scale and monitor your body fat percentage. webmd has great resources for interpreting body fat. if you look in body for life for women or fit to live i rant and rave about body fat percentage and it's importance in determining health and wellness. bmi is one number in a long equation of effective qualifiers for weight management. it's not the most important by any means.
how important is the body mass index (bmi) rating to predict health?