Why Do We Still Use BMI?
Did you know the Body Mass Index (BMI) has been around since the early 1800s? It was created by Adolphe Quetelet, a Belgian mathematician—not even a medical professional—as a way to analyze population trends. It wasn’t originally intended to assess individual health, but here we are, still using it to determine whether someone is underweight, "normal," or overweight.
The question is—why? Because BMI has some serious flaws that make it outdated for today’s world.
What’s Wrong With BMI?
1) We’re Not Living in the 19th Century Anymore
Life has changed a lot since BMI was first created. The food we eat, the air we breathe, and even the hormones in our environment have all shifted dramatically. Humans are naturally larger today than they were 200 years ago—so trying to cram us into a formula from back then doesn’t make much sense.
2) It Doesn’t Tell the Full Story
BMI doesn’t care about what your body is made of. It lumps muscle and fat into the same category, which is why athletes often get labeled as overweight or obese. For example, someone with 6% body fat and a lot of muscle could still fall into the “morbidly obese” category. Sounds ridiculous, right? It is.
I relate to this personally because I’ve been rejected for health insurance based on my BMI. At 6’1” and 250 pounds with 6% body fat, BMI places me in the far end of the "morbidly obese" category. Let’s be real—how does that make any sense?
Take Ilona Maher, a rugby player for Team USA, as another example. She has a BMI of 29.3, which technically classifies her as "overweight." But BMI doesn’t account for her muscle mass, athletic performance, or overall health. She’s a strong and fit Olympic athlete proudly representing her country—something a BMI score will never reflect.
3) It Ignores Fat Placement
Where fat is stored on your body matters a lot when it comes to health risks. Fat around your abdomen, for example, is more dangerous than fat stored elsewhere. BMI completely ignores this, which means it might miss critical warning signs for someone’s health.
4) It’s One-Size-Fits-All—But We’re Not
BMI doesn’t consider gender, age, or body type. Men, women, older adults, and people from different ethnic backgrounds all have unique body compositions. Applying the same standard to everyone leads to misclassifications and misunderstandings about health.
Time for a Change
BMI was a useful tool in its time, but it’s outlived its usefulness. Health is more than a simple height-to-weight ratio. Instead, we should focus on factors that actually matter—like body composition, metabolic health, and lifestyle choices.
Your worth is not a number on a chart. Let’s start looking at health in a way that reflects the unique, amazing individuals we all are.
- Coach Court