
05/08/2025
Body Mass Index (BMI) has long been the standard for assessing obesity, but its limitations are increasingly recognized. A recent study from the University of Florida suggests that Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis (BIA) could serve as a more accurate alternative. BMI, which only considers height and weight, often misclassifies individuals, particularly athletes with high muscle mass or those with excess visceral fat despite a normal BMI. The study analyzed over 4,000 adults and found that BIA, which measures body fat percentage using electrical currents, better predicts health risks. Results indicated that individuals with higher body fat percentages faced significantly increased mortality risks, with men over 27% and women over 44% body fat being particularly vulnerable. While BMI is simple and cost-effective, the medical community is beginning to acknowledge the need for more nuanced measurements like BIA to better assess health risks associated with body composition.
BMI is still commonly used to assess obesity even though research has shown it's not necessarily a reliable metric. A new study proposes doctors instead use technology that can measure body fat.