BMI IS A FLAWED INDICATOR

The number on the scales and BMI. They're not the be-all and end-all, especially as we age. Here's the deal: Your weight tells you the total, but it doesn't differentiate between fat and healthy muscle.

What is BMI? It's a mathematical calculation using weight and height, but it doesn't dive into the composition of your weight. What truly matters is understanding your lean body mass.

MEET THE BMI GUY - born in 1796!!

Lambert Adolphe Jacques Quetelet - a Belgian mathematician, sociologist, statistician and astronomer born in 1796.

I WAS SHOCKED TO LEARN THAT BMI HAS BEEN AROUND FOR FOR 160 YEARS. It was a time when "doctors" commonly prescribed highly toxic compounds of mercury and arsenic, and naturally occurring poisons such as hemlock and deadly nightshade - and worse.

Glad we have moved on, but BMI is still around. And as an indicator of body fat content, it is flawed.

A BETTER ALTERNATIVE?

WAIST TO HEIGHT RATIO

Dr Margaret Ashwell, an independent consultant and former science director of the British Nutrition Foundation, explained at the 19th Congress on Obesity in Lyon, France, May 2012, that waist-to-height ratio os a superior predictor than BMI, notably type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular diseases.

Dr. Ashwell said “Keeping your waist circumference to less than half your height can help increase life expectancy for every person in the world.”     

LEAN BODY MASS EXPLAINED.......

Lean body mass includes the weight of your organs, skin, bones,  body water and muscle mass.  It is calculated as the difference between total body weight and body fat weight - in simple terms is it everything EXCEPT the fat.  

The clearest way is to have a body composition monitor that can accurately measure your body fat percentage.  For example if your body fat percentage is 27%, your lean body mass will be the reciprocal 73%.   There are body composition scales available for purchase on line and many gyms already include this in their assessment protocols.

WHY IS IT IMPORTANT?

As muscles and internal organs have a higher metabolic rate that the equivalent weight of fat, a good peercentage of lean body mass boosts your metabolism and makes it easier to maintain the healthy weight  you want.   There is also evidence that a high proportion of lean mass reduces the inflammation.  The smaller fat cells in lean individuals promote healthy function, while the enlarged fat calls in overweight people can lead to inflammation and chronic disease

IS LEAN BODY MASS PERCENTAGE A BETTER MEASURE OF HEALTH AND WEIGHT?

As a person trying to maintain or improve their health, it can be difficult to know which measurements are the most important. Your weight only tells you the total and not how much of that weight is made up of fat and how much is healthy muscle. You will have a much more accurate picture of how healthy you are, and tracking this figure over time, will show you the impact of diet and exercise on maintaining or improving your lean body mass percentage.

IMPROVING YOUR LEAN BODY MASS

STRENGTH TRAINING!! You can work towards improving your lean body mass by increasing your healthy muscle, making sure you're well hydrated, and working towards reducing your visceral and subcutaneous fat. You will also be working on your lean body mass while you are getting good quality. sleep as oxygen and nutrients are carried your muscle tissues to help their healing and growth. Whatever your score, understanding your body and your fitness level will put you in a much stronger position to maintain and improve your health.

SARCOPENIA'S STEALTHY THREAT.......

Recent articles have spotlighted the importance of muscle mass, specifically in the context of sarcopenia. Sarcopenia is a condition where individuals lose muscle mass as they age, often without even realising it. The alarming fact is that many people over 50 are losing at least one percent of muscle mass every year. Sarcopenia is now being recognised as a significant contributor to premature death.

Many individuals are blissfully unaware of the profound impact muscle has on their health. Beyond aesthetics, maintaining a healthy muscle mass can enhance mobility, boost metabolism and adequate muscle mass is linked to better insulin.

WHY WE HAVE TO MOVE BEYOND BMI AND TALK ABOUT MUSCLE

Weight and BMI are outdated and unsuitable measurements to assess an individuals health risk factors.

The implications of maintaining a healthy muscle mass as we age are becoming more and more obvious.   Recent article in the Times newspaper placed  a focus on muscle mass and the message about sarcopenia was directed to the over 50s informing them that they are losing at least one percent of muscle mass every year, and going as far to say that this is a significant cause of premature death.

Many people are blissfully, unaware that sarcopenia can have such a negative impact on their health as we get older many of them will have no clue about the health benefits of maintaining a healthy muscle mass at all.

Muscles play a vital role in our health at all stages of life from allowing movement and balance to contributing to physical strength, organ, function, skin, integrity, immunity and wound healing. Most of the public are only focused on the scale and how much they weigh as their marker for health. The focus is still too heavily weighted on weight BMI and fat. If you are monitoring progress with weight or BMI you are doing a disservice. By ignoring muscle you are potentially putting health at risk, and certainly not giving a true reflection of the physical state of well-being.

SHIFTING THE FOCUS....

It's high time we shift our focus from the numbers on the scale and BMI to a more comprehensive understanding of our health. Muscle, often overlooked, is a powerful indicator of well-being, especially as we age. Awareness about the impact of muscle mass on overall health is crucial. So, let's not be among those who remain unaware of the health benefits of maintaining a healthy muscle mass. It's time to prioritize the strength within.

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