What the BMI Chart Calculator DOESN’T Tell You About Your Health

Although the BMI Chart Calculator can give you an overview of your health, it often fails to capture the bigger picture. There are many insights to gain from understanding your BMI (Body Mass Index). You can gain a sense of how much exercise you should be getting. You can catch a glimpse of your history with weight gain or loss. It can also help you understand if your weight is in healthy proportion with your height. However, BMI is merely a snapshot of your state of health. There are many things we can’t learn from calculating our BMI. More often than not, BMI is simply one piece of a larger story. Here’s everything the BMI Chart Calculator doesn’t tell you about your health.

BMI Chart Calculator and Your Health

The BMI index can bring up a lot of sensitivity for people. It’s traditionally been touted as the one true measurement of a person’s health. When we think of BMI, we may think of traumatic memories of being weighed in gym class. Or we may recall being told that we were leaning on the dangerous end of the spectrum with our weight. Thankfully, science and the medical industry has evolved drastically over the years. It’s a common understanding that BMI is not a single indicator of a person’s overall health. There are dozens of factors at play, and every person’s makeup is extremely unique. That being said, there are plenty of things the BMI Chart Calculator cannot indicate regarding your health.

BMI Calculator Chart

Believe it or not, there are some people who fall higher on the BMI index and are not considered obese. This is because it’s possible to have a high muscle density and low fat count. This speaks volumes. This also demonstrates how nuanced, complex, and unique each person’s health background can be. So how do we truly measure health? A list of things the BMI cannot indicate include:

• Your muscle density
• Your bone density
• How often you exercise or move
• Your diet and nutrition
• Overall body composition
• Differences in sex
• Differences in race or ethnicity
• Differences in genetics
• Pre-existing conditions 

This is a whole lot of information to take into consideration when determining your health status. It’s safe to say that the BMI Chart Calculator cannot measure a person’s unique body composition or heath background. So how do we truly know we’re healthy and vital? Here’s a list of questions to think about when deciding our health status:

• How often do you exercise?
• What does your diet consist of?
• Do you have more muscle than body fat?
• If available to your body, can you move, walk, and run with ease?
• What does your genetic background look like?
• What does your sleep schedule look like?
• Do you drink enough water?

These are just a few basic questions to ask yourself when performing a self-assessment. If you land higher on the BMI index, yet exercise regularly, eat well, sleep well, and feel good on the daily–the BMI isn’t an “end-all be-all” for healthiness. 

When to Seek Medical Guidance

It’s essential to take stock everyday when it comes to our health. While the BMI cannot give you the full picture, obesity is a real concern to a person’s health. If you experience any of the following symptoms, such as:

• Diabetes
• High blood pressure
• Various heart conditions
• Sleep apnea

…or more, it’s imperative that you seek medical attention as soon as possible. The team at BASS Bariatric is dedicated to giving relief to those struggling with their weight. You start today by giving us a call at (923) 281-3711. You can even schedule a bariatric consultation from one of our on-sight doctors. It doesn’t have to be challenging to get the medical help you deserve. Contact us today.