We here at The Medifast Plan are not fans of cookie-cutter solutions and formulas for evaluating body health. A perfect example is the much maligned BMI calculator.
The BMI (Body Mass Indicator), for better or worse, is a formulaic method that was developed to help people quickly assess their relative level of body health. While fine as a general guideline, a calculation that relies only on your height and weight is never going to give you an accurate picture of your health.
For example, one of our friends is a mid-30′s male who is 6’2" tall and about 205 lbs. According to BMI calculators, he is a 26.3, which is considered overweight. While our friend generally concedes he could be a little lighter, he is athletic and in pretty good shape. He runs several times a week, plays basketball, cycles, works out and has a 34" waist.
You see, BMI doesn’t take muscle density into account. Muscle is significantly more dense than fat. About 18% more dense actually. So, someone 6’2" weighing in at 205 lbs might have body fat density of 5% or 20%. BMI doesn’t take this into account, thus our friend appears overweight.
Moral of the story? Don’t rely on your raw weight or BMI results to judge your body health and fitness. Things like body fat density are much more accurate. Formulas like BMI are just indicators to give you a baseline to work from. Get a body fat test at your local gym or from one of the many electronic home systems you can now buy. And get out and get some exercise.
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