Move over, body mass index.
Make room for roundness — to be precise, the body roundness index.
The body mass index, or B.M.I., is a ratio of height to weight that has long been used as a medical screening tool.
The classifications have been questioned by athletes like the American Olympic rugby player Ilona Maher, whose B.M.I.
Even physicians have weighed in on the shortcomings of B.M.I.
The American Medical Association warned last year that B.M.I.
It can’t differentiate between individuals who carry a lot of muscle and those with fat in all the wrong places.
“Based on B.M.I., Arnold Schwarzenegger when he was a bodybuilder would have been categorized as obese and needing to lose weight,” said Dr. Wajahat Mehal, director of the Metabolic Health and Weight Loss Program at Yale University.
“But as soon as you measured his waist, you’d see, ‘Oh, it’s 32 inches.’” So welcome a new metric: the body roundness index.
If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.
Body mass index, get over here. Specifically, the body roundness index should be accommodated.
B, or the body mass index. M. 1. is a height to weight ratio that has been utilized for a long time as a medical screening instrument. Because it is used to categorize people as overweight, obese, or extremely obese, it is one of the most popular but also most despised health metrics.
Athletes such as Olympic rugby player Ilona Maher of the United States, whose B. M. I. technically places her at the verge of obesity at thirty. She responded to internet trolls who tried to make fun of her weight by writing on Instagram, “But alas, I’m going to the Olympics and you’re not.”. “.
Those who support overweight people and people of color point out that the formula was created almost 200 years ago, was only based on data from men—the majority of whom were white—and was never meant to be used for medical screening.
Doctors have also voiced their concerns about B’s shortcomings. M. . I. Last year, the American Medical Association issued a warning that B. M. 1. is a flawed measure that ignores diversity in terms of age, sex, gender, and race/ethnicity. It is unable to distinguish between people with excess muscle and those who are overweight.
“Predicted on B. M. . I. Dr. Wajahat Mehal, the director of Yale University’s Metabolic Health and Weight Loss Program, stated that Arnold Schwarzenegger would have been considered obese and in need of weight loss during his bodybuilding career.
However, you would quickly discover that his waist measured 32 inches. ‘”.
Introducing the body roundness index, a brand-new measurement. B. . J. R. I. is exactly what it sounds like: a measurement of your roundness or circlelikeness, calculated using a formula that accounts for waist and height but not weight.
We appreciate your patience as we check access.
Sign in if you’re already a subscriber.
Would you like to receive all of The Times? Sign up.
