L’body mass index (BMI)which calculates the ratio between our weight and our height, is supposed to indicate if we are at risk of cardiovascular illnesses or other health problems. However, a new study published in the Journal of internal medicine indicates that BMI is not an exact reflection of our state of health. And that a high body mass index is not necessarily the only alarming index for health.
Main defect of the BMI according to Dr. William Leslie, professor of medicine and radiology at the University of Manitoba (Canada): it does not differentiate between fat mass, muscle mass and bone mass , “which can sometimes mislead us”. To prove it, Professor Leslie and his colleagues analyzed the BMI of 50,000 men and women via a study of their bone density. When they compared BMI numbers with early death statistics, they found that people with the lowest BMI also had a 40 to 45 higher risk. % of dying early, compared to those with an average BMI. Among women, those who had a high BMI had a 19% increased risk of dying early, while in men this risk was 60%.
“It goes to show that we shouldn’t just be using body mass index to judge a patient’s health status. Other measures, including waist circumferencecould also enlighten us” said the Canadian doctor.
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