BMI vs. Abdominal Obesity – A Heavy Debate
- February 23, 2018
- Posted by: RSIS
- Category: Health Sciences
International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS) | Volume I, Issue I, January 2017 | ISSN 2454-6186
BMI vs. Abdominal Obesity – A Heavy Debate
Rasmi Mishra
Founder, COO, AllizHealth
I. UNDERSTANDING BMI
Body Mass Index or BMI is one of the most commonly used statistical tools to measure body fat. Calculated by taking the ratio of individual’s weight and height, BMI has seen tremendous prevalence, over the years, in usage from both individuals and medical community. Its wide reach can be attributed to the fact that it is extremely simple to calculate, reasonably informative, cheap and non-invasive in nature. It is now commonly accepted as a useful screening tool for weight profiling of individuals as well population groups. Based on the Body Mass Index score, an individual is classified as either underweight, normal, overweight and obese. A score above 25 makes the individual overweight and one above 30 makes her obese. Chart 1 below captures, in detail, all the Body Mass Index score ranges and corresponding categories.
As BMI has seen prolific use over the years, at AllizHealth, we have done extensive analysis on the issue of understanding the benefits and limitations of Body Mass Index. Additionally, we have also delved into the matter of what could be other simple additional measures that can be undertaken by individuals and practitioners to procure improved insights and build sustainable models around weight and body fat management. Based on a dataset analysis, PAN India, we observed that ~64% people have higher than normal BMI and among them 7% in Obesity level I/ II and 1% are severely obese. Based on this classification, overweight and obese individuals are identified as ones carrying high risks of diseases that are typically associated with excess weight and body fat. These would include risks for: heart diseases, diabetes (type 2), stroke, and hypertension, some types of cancer and kidney disease. Hence, BMI works as an efficient tool to red flag risks associated with excess body fat and weight. Chart 2 and 3, below, enunciate various insights on population’s BMI status, generated from AllizHealth’s dataset.
