What is the’usefulness of the IMC ?

A leading technique for calculating a person's ideal weight in the late 1980s, BMI is now as widely used as it is reviled. Easy to calculate, the Body Mass Index is according to some an unreliable source, even a danger for some people. So what is the real BMI usefulness ? An overview is in order.

L’BMI: what’what is c’is and how to calculate it ?

Created in the 19th century by a Belgian statistician who realized that a person's weight squared most often correlated with their height. In a time when obesity was synonymous with disease, this index was quickly taken up by doctors, insurance companies and scientists.

What is BMI ?

The BMI, an acronym for "overweight Body Mass Index "is a method of calculating whether or not an individual is overweight.

It is based on two body measurements: height in m and weight in kg.

BMI allows us to estimate more or less the total weight of an adult and the possible cases of overweight, but this equation does not take into account the fat mass, muscle mass or a possible pregnancy.

How to calculate BMI ?

For calculate BMI, you need to know two measurements: height in m and weight in kg. It is a simple and quick measurement, accessible to everyone. It is then sufficient to divide the weight by the square of the height.

Finally, the result obtained should be transferred to the classification recognized by the WHO to read the result.

• Below 16.5: malnutrition
• Between 16.5 and 18.5: thinness
• Between 18.5 and 25: normal weight
• Between 25 and 30: overweight
• Between 30 and 35: moderate obesity
• Between 35 and 40: severe obesity

What is the purpose of the’BMI ?

The usefulness of BMI has been questioned for several years now. The reason: a quick assessment based on weight and height only. However, these two elements are not always sufficient to diagnose obesity and for this reason, this calculation cannot be done for all types of people.

The usefulness of the BMI

The BMI can be useful to quickly determine if you are overweightweight status of a young person, in good overall health and not practicing high level sports. This "average" category is the most likely to receive a correct BMI. With this simple calculation, a person can determine for themselves if they are overweight or obese.

Knowing that the’obesity increases the risk of cardiovascular problems and certain diseases, the calculation of this BMI allows to be aware of its weight and to monitor it yourself, more closely.

People who are not concerned by BMI

Several types of people are likely to have a high BMI without being overweight. This is :

Sportsmen and women

Athletes generally have a very large amount of muscle, while having a small amount of body fat. Since muscle weighs more than fat, a rugby player or athlete may end up with a BMI indicating obesity.

Pregnant women

The strong weight gain (between 7 and 10 kg) during a pregnancy distorts the BMI result.

Children and elderly people

It is preferable not to rely on BMI calculation to determine the weight health of children or elderly people. With a different organism and different needs, this part of the population is likely to have a false BMI result.