The “new BMI” by Nick Trefethen
Short people may be fatter than they think, according to a British math professor, because of a new formula for measuring the Body Mass Index (BMI) .
Professor Nick Trefethen of the University of Oxford believes that the traditional formula for calculating body mass index is incorrect. He has developed what he considers to be a more accurate method.
A lack of precision in the current formula?
“The current formula lacks precision because it underestimates muscle mass in tall people,” he said. Professor Nick Trefethen believes that short people are actually more overweight than they realize and tall people are thinner than they realize.
The traditional BMI formula is used by health professionals around the world to determine if a person is overweight. It contributes even more to assess the risk of developing blood pressure disorders and heart disease. Its method of calculation is to divide a person’s weight in kilograms by their height in meters squared, in an effort to measure the amount of body fat an individual has. However, this calculation formula simply does not take into account the weight of fat or all of the muscle. Experts have long disputed this traditional way of calculating BMI; considered as an indicator of overall health; since it does not distinguish between muscle and fat.
Professor Trefethen does not intend to lobby for his formula to be implemented worldwide, but he argues that health and fitness professionals should reconsider their use of the traditional formula, and have using the current method.
According to this method, a BMI between 18.5 and 24.9 is considered healthy. If the BMI value is less than 18.5, it is considered insufficient. On the other hand, an individual with an index between 25 and 29.9 is overweight and obese once he exceeds the barrier of 30.
Mr. Trefethen began to study the issue after realizing that the original method of measuring BMI failed to take into account that tall people tend to have larger bodies than shorter people. In his new approach, a person’s weight in kilograms is multiplied by 1.3. The result is then divided by the size and raised to the power of 2.5.
More than just an academic exercise
The professor insists that his formula is far from just an academic exercise and that its results could affect millions of people. Thus, for people measuring 1.5 meters in height, the new method should add one point to the value of their BMI. On the other hand, individuals whose height is around 2 meters would see their body mass index decrease by one point.
Stephen Paul is the lead author and founder of My Health Sponsor. Holder of a diploma in health and well-being coaching with more than 200 articles in the field of health, he makes it a point of honor to offer advice based on reliable information, based on scientific research, and verified by health professionals.