BMI: a bad measure of health?

So Womens magazines and health insurance are always going on about your BMI as a measure of a healthy weight.

This calculation uses your height and weight to group results, saying you're on track, under or more likely overweight.

However BMI was developed when the average man was 5"9 and 70 kg.

With modern nutrition we are certainly getting bigger all round. This is illustrated by my gramps who was one of the heaviest forwards in the Scotland international rugby squad pre and post ww2 (see my first blog post). As a flanker he was 6 ft and a lean 14 stone at his peak. I am the same size but (no-where near his lean ability) certainly not in the national rugby team.

Healthy men who lift weights may be mislabelled by BMI as unhealthy and obese or overweight.

My advice is to go by abdominal circumference or the widest measure of your tummy at rest breathing out.

You don't see active bodybuilders with large overhanging bellies, so this is a better measure of trunkal obesity or belly fat, which is an accurate predictor of heart disease and general health.

So get your tape measure and put it round the widest point of your belly standing at rest breathing out.

If you measure less than 94 cm or 37 inches you're fine. Normal. Low risk.

If you're between this and 102 cm or 39 in your at increased risk.

If your belly is more than 102cm or 39in then you are overweight, at high risk of heart disease and strokes and higher risk of any cancer and diabetes.

This belly fat can be lost by increased exercise and improved diet.

See my other posts about diet and exercise in the index.

Check out men's health magazine take on this here http://www.menshealth.com/weight-loss/truth-about-bmi?
and keep your belly in check. BEATTHEBELLY!