Stepping Off the BMI Scale.

AMERICAN Medical Association; BODY composition; BODY mass index; FAT; MEDICAL personnel; ADIPOSE tissues; WAIST circumference; MUSCLE mass

The article discusses the limitations of using body mass index (BMI) as a measure of health risks. BMI is calculated by dividing a person's weight by the square of their height and classifies individuals as underweight, normal weight, overweight, or obese. However, BMI fails to account for important factors such as muscle mass and fat distribution, which can impact health risks. The American Medical Association recognizes that BMI alone is an imperfect measure and that additional assessments, such as waist circumference and body composition analysis, should be used to evaluate individual health. The article emphasizes the need for healthcare professionals to consider alternative methods of assessing health risks beyond BMI. [Extracted from the article]

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