Study Says BMI Is An Inaccurate Measure Of Health

A new study conducted by the team of University of California - Los Angeles (UCLA) researchers shows that Body Mass Index (BMI) is a flawed measure of health. Americans were misclassified as healthy or unhealthy when BMI is used as a measure of health. 

Healthcare Dive reported that the new study have found out that about 54 million Americans who were identified as overweight or obese are actually in perfect health based on their cardiometabolic measures. Additionally, the study also concluded that 21 million Americans who belong to the normal category on their BMI are unhealthy. 

Overall, the study said that almost 75 million American adults are misidentified as either healthy or unhealthy when health status is gauged by BMI. Using the most recent data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), the study was conducted to identify whether BMI was correlated with cardiometabolic health markers like blood pressure, cholesterol, glucose, triglycerides, insulin resistance and C-reactive protein.

A. Janet Tomiyama, a UCLA assistant professor of psychology who led the study, told Medical News Today, that using BMI in gauging health status will inappropriately penalize healthy people whose healthcare costs are measured by their BMI. She added that it is also unfair that many unhealthy people do not pay higher health insurance.

"Many people see obesity as a death sentence. Employers, policy makers and insurance companies should focus on actual health markers," Tomiyama said.

Co-author Jeffrey Hunger, a University of California-Santa Barbara doctoral candidate, added that their study confirms that BMI is a flawed measure of health. Therefore, he said that people should focus on healthy diet and regular exercise instead of being obsessed with weight loss.

"This should be the final nail in the coffin for BMI," Hunger disclosed.

The researchers noted that the finding is timely and vital because of the recent proposed rules of the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. The proposal seeks to allow employers to penalize their staff for as much as 30 percent of their health insurance costs if they do not meet 24 health criteria, which include an approved BMI.