How
you determine your fitness level? I guess it is through BMI. But remember
whatever we see is not always correct. BMI calculation may go wrong. Even it
can indicate a normal healthy person as overweight. This calculation never
consider the category of persons who have extra calories in particular part of
their body or those individuals who seem to
be fit as per BMI but carry additional mass on dangerous part of their
body. These persons may feel healthy and fit but in reality they are more
exposed to diseases like diabetes, heart problems or may lead to premature
death. Body parts which are not considered by BMI are waists and hips.
The
main aim of any obesity calculator is to show the real fat present in human
body, as excessive fat may lead to severe diseases and troubles. But BMI
calculator works on mass and weight. Our weight also includes muscles, fluid,
bones and other materials inside body. Yes, a person with very high BMI has the
chances of excessive fat, but BMI calculator sometimes fails for those people
who are underweight or overweight.
In
recent years, most of the researchers have stopped believing on benefits of
BMI. As per them, it is impossible for BMI calculator to find the difference
between fat and muscles. BMI considers muscles’ weight, thus can indicate even
an overweight body as underweight and vice versa. It can’t identify various kinds
of fat present, which can have bad impact on body. It never considers excessive
body fat. Belly fat or visceral is quite hazardous as compared to the fat
present under skin. Visceral fat gets deposited around liver, thereby releases
hormones which can disturb energy balance in body. Even an underweight person
can have visceral fat, even if shown normal by BMI. In reality such persons
have more possibility of health problems.
Even
after considering all the above points, still most of the doctors believe in
BMI, why? It is simple to calculate. Measure height along with weight, put
values in equation and know the BMI. Most of us relate their health problems
with the reading of BMI, which is totally wrong.
Other
than BMI there are ample numbers of better ways which can show your health. CT
scan as well as MRI can portray a clear image of body, which separates fat from
muscles. Another procedure is X-ray absorptiometry which measures density of
bone and also makes separate calculation for muscles as well as fat. All the
above discussed methods are quite effective but are little bit expensive.
Hence
because of cost effectiveness BMI is preferred by most of the people. Still
researches say that doctors should consider both BMI and medical history of
individual for getting most accurate and meaningful outcome.
What
is your BMI? Even if you are underweight as per its reading, never believe that
you are physically fit. Take advice from your doctor and know your body’s exact
fitness level.