Body Mass Index will soon be replaced with a more accurate measurement. See how you measure up with the link below!

Excerpts from New York Times article Sept. 6, 2024

Finally, the body mass index will now become the body roundness index.

The body mass index, or B.M.I., is a ratio of height to weight that has long been used as a medical screening tool but often misrepresents health status because it doesn’t take into account the ratio of muscle mass to weight, or the level of body fat and where it sits on the body.

Too many people deemed overweight (B.M.I. of 25-30, or even above) were actually in good metabolic health, while some with a B.M.I. of 18.5-25, deemed a healthy weight, were in poor metabolic health.

“Based on B.M.I., Arnold Schwarzenegger when he was a bodybuilder would have been categorized as obese and needing to lose weight,” said Dr. Wajahat Mehal, director of the Metabolic Health and Weight Loss Program at Yale University.  “But if you measured his waist, you’d see, ‘Oh, it’s 32 inches.’”

So we finally have a new metric: the body roundness index. B.R.I. is just what it sounds like — a measure of how round or circlelike you are, using a formula that takes into account height and waist, but not weight. The fat stored in the abdominal cavity is critically important, as it surrounds internal organs like the liver, and contributes to insulin resistance and glucose intolerance that often precede Type 2 diabetes. It also fosters high blood pressure and lipid abnormalities that can lead to heart disease and death.

You can try it on yourself here: Body Roundness Index (BRI) Calculator | webFCE

Most people rank between 1 and 10.  Those who score 6.9 and up are at the highest risk of dying from cancer, heart disease and other illnesses.  But those with scores under 3.41 also faced a higher mortality risk, suggesting malnutrition, muscle atrophy, or in activity.