Your index allows you to identify whether the risk factors for diseases are higher than normal. For this, the following correspondence is established:
| BMI value | Disease risk |
|---|---|
| Less than 16 | Increased |
| Between 16 and 19 | Raised |
| Between 20 and 25 | Weak |
| Between 25 and 30 | Increased |
| Between 30 and 35 | Raised |
| Between 35 and 40 | Very high |
| Over 40 | extremely high |
This table is also very revealing of the very interest of the Body Mass Index: it is not a question of determining your ideal weight, but rather of determining your risks, in the face of certain diseases . This is the primary purpose of this index.
CONCRETE EXAMPLE
Since 2005, in Spain, female models whose BMI is less than 18 kg/m² are no longer allowed to participate in fashion shows! This in order to fight against the anorexia which resounds more and more in this environment. Indeed, the WHO considers that a woman whose BMI is less than 18 is not in good health.
This measure could soon be extended to other countries of the European Union.