BMI was not invented specifically to identify obesity, but the Belgian statistician Adolf Kettler proposed in the 19th century in order to study the general law of weight and height of the population.
Over time, scientists have gradually discoveredCorrelation of BMI with a range of health problems, especially in large-scale epidemiological studies, BMI has been significantly associated with the incidence of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, hypertension, and other chronic diseases. And because of itSimple, economical, and easy to obtain data (BMI weight (kg) divided by height (m) squared)., so it is still widely adopted worldwide as an assessment of the common ** overweight and obesityInitial screening toolsand at the same time is also asThe basis for a preliminary determination of health risks
Due toDifferences between Asians and Europeans and Americans in terms of physical composition, China and other Asian countries and regions have made some adjustments to the evaluation criteria of BMI. It is generally believed that forChinese, the BMI index is in18.5 to 239between is consideredNormalRange; If BMIHigher than 24, you may beBeing overweight；bmiMore than 28is considered to beObesity
BMI exists as an indirect measure of body fatLimitations, for example, it can't distinguish where the weight comes fromMuscle or fatAt the same time, it is impossible to distinguish yesSubcutaneous fat or visceral fat, and excessive accumulation of visceral fat is more harmful to health. ForSpecific populations(e.g. professional athletes, children, the elderly, and pregnant women) mayNot accurate enough
As more research deepens, health experts and medical institutions are also emphasizing the need to use BMI at the same time:Consider other indicators such as waist circumference and body fat percentageetc., in order to more accurately assess the health status of the individual.