BODY MASS INDEX: Why your BMI may be lying to you

My BMI says I'm fat.  That's right.  My BMI is 25.7, which is well into the "OVERWEIGHT"  category.  And can you guess why?  It's because the Body Mass Index is literally a useless tool for measuring body fat.

And I'm not alone.  A Baylor study found that 1 out of 6 children who scored normal on the BMI actually had a high percentage of body fat.  And it found that 1 out of 4 children labeled as obese by the BMI actually had a normal percentage of body fat.

The problem?  It's too simple.  It tries to predict how much body fat you have, but only looks at your height and weight.  This would be like trying to predict how many people are in a building, but only looking at the dimensions of the building.  It's ridiculous.

But there is a much better solution.  Body composition testing.  If you want to get an accurate assessment of your body fat percentage, both skin fold caliper measurement and the Tanita scale will each give you quick & easy readings.  And both are a free service provided by most gyms.

Healthy body fat percentages, according to the American Council on Exercise:

• Men: 6-17% body fat
• Women: 14-24% body fat

And, staying within these ranges can dramatically reduce your risk of the following conditions:

1. Feeling miserable*
2. Dying young*

*( heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, diabetes, cancer, gall bladder disease, gall stones, osteoarthritis, gout, sleep apnea and asthma)

So don't worry about your BMI.  Pay attention to your body fat percentage.  It's a much more accurate and helpful tool to help you get more out of life!

And if you don't know where to start, talk to a good personal trainer or fitness expert.  They can develop a do-able exercise and diet plan that works for you.

If you're not happy with where you're at, do something about it!  :)

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