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0 / 30 Fotos
BMI: a common tool, but criticized
- Body mass index (BMI) is one of the most widely used tools to assess weight and health risks, though it has received significant criticism over the years.
© Shutterstock
1 / 30 Fotos
Limitations of BMI
- BMI misclassifies individuals by not accounting for factors like muscle mass or fat distribution. An athlete could fall into the "obese" category, while others with metabolic syndrome might be misclassified.
© Shutterstock
2 / 30 Fotos
Why BMI remains popular
- The simplicity of BMI, providing a quick numerical benchmark, is why it's still commonly used. However, more comprehensive measures like body scans offer a fuller picture, but are less accessible.
© Shutterstock
3 / 30 Fotos
Introducing the body roundness index (BRI)
- The body roundness index (BRI) offers a new model for evaluating obesity and related risks, using waist and hip measurements to determine the roundness of a person's midsection.
© Shutterstock
4 / 30 Fotos
Body composition matters more than weight
- Research indicates that body composition (fat distribution, muscle, and bone) affects health more than total body weight. Fat around the midsection is especially linked to higher risks of heart disease and diabetes.
© Shutterstock
5 / 30 Fotos
BRI vs. BMI in predicting health risks
- Studies suggest that BRI is a better predictor of health outcomes like disease risk and mortality. It offers more nuance compared to BMI, which lacks accuracy in predicting individual health conditions.
© Shutterstock
6 / 30 Fotos
The history of BMI
- BMI was created in the early 19th century using data mostly from white men. It gained popularity in the '50s when insurance companies linked weight to claim frequency, later becoming a health risk tool.
© Shutterstock
7 / 30 Fotos
Criticism of BMI's racial bias
- BMI doesn't consider racial, ethnic, gender, or age differences, which may affect health. The American Medical Association (AMA) now advocates using BMI alongside other metrics, due to its historical harm.
© Shutterstock
8 / 30 Fotos
A more inclusive approach
- AMA recommends pairing BMI with additional measurements like waist circumference and visceral fat, which are linked to health risks such as type 2 diabetes and heart disease.
© Shutterstock
9 / 30 Fotos
Visceral vs. subcutaneous fat
- Visceral fat, found around vital organs, poses a higher health risk compared to subcutaneous fat, which is located under the skin. Measuring visceral fat is critical for assessing true health risks.
© Shutterstock
10 / 30 Fotos
Why BMI fails to capture body shape
- BMI assumes a cylindrical body shape, but this doesn't account for natural curves, especially in women. By contrast, BRI uses a more accurate oval shape model to measure health.
© Shutterstock
11 / 30 Fotos
BRI's mathematical foundations
- BRI calculates the eccentricity of a person's midsection, or how round it is, offering a more individualized approach to understanding health risks compared to BMI.
© Shutterstock
12 / 30 Fotos
Using national health data for BRI
- BRI was developed using data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), which includes extensive health data from a diverse range of US participants.
© Shutterstock
13 / 30 Fotos
BRI score range
- BRI scores range from one to 16, with higher scores indicating rounder bodies. Most individuals fall between one and 10, helping gauge health risks based on body shape and fat distribution.
© Shutterstock
14 / 30 Fotos
BRI as a predictor of health outcomes
- Over the past decade, international studies have demonstrated BRI's potential to predict certain health risks, though its ability to assess all-cause mortality in the US remained unexamined until recently.
© Shutterstock
15 / 30 Fotos
BRI and all-cause mortality
- A study published in JAMA Network Open analyzed data from 33,000 US adults collected by NHANES (1999–2018), grouping participants by BRI to examine health and mortality outcomes.
© Shutterstock
16 / 30 Fotos
Results of the study
- The data showed a U-shaped trend: individuals with the highest BRIs faced increased mortality risk, while those with the lowest scores also had poor outcomes. BRI offered more nuanced and reliable disease risk estimates than BMI.
© Shutterstock
17 / 30 Fotos
BRI and demographic differences
- BRI accounts for demographic differences, such as race and ethnicity, which is essential for assessing health risks. For example, Asian individuals may carry more visceral fat even at lower BMIs.
© Shutterstock
18 / 30 Fotos
BRI as an early tool
- Despite growing evidence of BRI's potential, experts stress that it is still in early stages of use. Further studies are necessary to fully evaluate its clinical applicability.
© Shutterstock
19 / 30 Fotos
BRI for health diagnosis
- BRI might supplement, but not replace, BMI. While it offers more personalized health insights, it's not yet widely used in clinical practice due to BMI's deep integration in healthcare systems.
© Shutterstock
20 / 30 Fotos
Challenges in replacing BMI
- BMI is deeply embedded in clinical practices, including growth charts, drug dosing, and population studies. Replacing it with a new system like BRI would require significant changes across healthcare.
© Shutterstock
21 / 30 Fotos
BRI’s role in clinical practice
- While BRI might supplement BMI, it doesn't require significant new technology. Implementing BRI alongside BMI in clinical practice could offer healthcare professionals a fuller picture of an individual's health.
© Shutterstock
22 / 30 Fotos
The gold standard
- The most precise assessment of body composition comes from specialized scans. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is the gold standard, though it remains costly and often challenging to access.
© Shutterstock
23 / 30 Fotos
Affordable body composition scans
- A more affordable option, the dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) scan, also provides accurate results.
© Shutterstock
24 / 30 Fotos
A future vision
- Some experts suggest moving away from general indices like BMI and BRI toward personalized health tools. Ideally, patients could be scanned for precise data upon entering a healthcare setting.
© Shutterstock
25 / 30 Fotos
BMI’s impact on mental health
- While BMI is a tool for physical health measurement, it can contribute to weight stigma and negatively impact a patient's mental health, especially when used in isolation without considering body composition.
© Shutterstock
26 / 30 Fotos
The risk of health bias in healthcare
- Measuring body circumference, as with BRI, may exacerbate weight bias if not approached sensitively. Healthcare providers must ensure that measurements are taken in a non-judgmental, supportive manner.
© Shutterstock
27 / 30 Fotos
Using BRI for health goals
- Healthcare providers may start using BRI alongside BMI to track a patient's health goals, particularly when working to manage conditions like obesity, heart disease, or type 2 diabetes.
© Shutterstock
28 / 30 Fotos
The evolution of body metrics
- As research on BRI and other metrics grows, it could become key in predicting health risks. However, a shift from BMI will be gradual, with true progress relying on a holistic, individualized approach. Sources: (Verywell Health) (Medical News Today) See also: Important health checks by age
© Shutterstock
29 / 30 Fotos
© Shutterstock
0 / 30 Fotos
BMI: a common tool, but criticized
- Body mass index (BMI) is one of the most widely used tools to assess weight and health risks, though it has received significant criticism over the years.
© Shutterstock
1 / 30 Fotos
Limitations of BMI
- BMI misclassifies individuals by not accounting for factors like muscle mass or fat distribution. An athlete could fall into the "obese" category, while others with metabolic syndrome might be misclassified.
© Shutterstock
2 / 30 Fotos
Why BMI remains popular
- The simplicity of BMI, providing a quick numerical benchmark, is why it's still commonly used. However, more comprehensive measures like body scans offer a fuller picture, but are less accessible.
© Shutterstock
3 / 30 Fotos
Introducing the body roundness index (BRI)
- The body roundness index (BRI) offers a new model for evaluating obesity and related risks, using waist and hip measurements to determine the roundness of a person's midsection.
© Shutterstock
4 / 30 Fotos
Body composition matters more than weight
- Research indicates that body composition (fat distribution, muscle, and bone) affects health more than total body weight. Fat around the midsection is especially linked to higher risks of heart disease and diabetes.
© Shutterstock
5 / 30 Fotos
BRI vs. BMI in predicting health risks
- Studies suggest that BRI is a better predictor of health outcomes like disease risk and mortality. It offers more nuance compared to BMI, which lacks accuracy in predicting individual health conditions.
© Shutterstock
6 / 30 Fotos
The history of BMI
- BMI was created in the early 19th century using data mostly from white men. It gained popularity in the '50s when insurance companies linked weight to claim frequency, later becoming a health risk tool.
© Shutterstock
7 / 30 Fotos
Criticism of BMI's racial bias
- BMI doesn't consider racial, ethnic, gender, or age differences, which may affect health. The American Medical Association (AMA) now advocates using BMI alongside other metrics, due to its historical harm.
© Shutterstock
8 / 30 Fotos
A more inclusive approach
- AMA recommends pairing BMI with additional measurements like waist circumference and visceral fat, which are linked to health risks such as type 2 diabetes and heart disease.
© Shutterstock
9 / 30 Fotos
Visceral vs. subcutaneous fat
- Visceral fat, found around vital organs, poses a higher health risk compared to subcutaneous fat, which is located under the skin. Measuring visceral fat is critical for assessing true health risks.
© Shutterstock
10 / 30 Fotos
Why BMI fails to capture body shape
- BMI assumes a cylindrical body shape, but this doesn't account for natural curves, especially in women. By contrast, BRI uses a more accurate oval shape model to measure health.
© Shutterstock
11 / 30 Fotos
BRI's mathematical foundations
- BRI calculates the eccentricity of a person's midsection, or how round it is, offering a more individualized approach to understanding health risks compared to BMI.
© Shutterstock
12 / 30 Fotos
Using national health data for BRI
- BRI was developed using data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), which includes extensive health data from a diverse range of US participants.
© Shutterstock
13 / 30 Fotos
BRI score range
- BRI scores range from one to 16, with higher scores indicating rounder bodies. Most individuals fall between one and 10, helping gauge health risks based on body shape and fat distribution.
© Shutterstock
14 / 30 Fotos
BRI as a predictor of health outcomes
- Over the past decade, international studies have demonstrated BRI's potential to predict certain health risks, though its ability to assess all-cause mortality in the US remained unexamined until recently.
© Shutterstock
15 / 30 Fotos
BRI and all-cause mortality
- A study published in JAMA Network Open analyzed data from 33,000 US adults collected by NHANES (1999–2018), grouping participants by BRI to examine health and mortality outcomes.
© Shutterstock
16 / 30 Fotos
Results of the study
- The data showed a U-shaped trend: individuals with the highest BRIs faced increased mortality risk, while those with the lowest scores also had poor outcomes. BRI offered more nuanced and reliable disease risk estimates than BMI.
© Shutterstock
17 / 30 Fotos
BRI and demographic differences
- BRI accounts for demographic differences, such as race and ethnicity, which is essential for assessing health risks. For example, Asian individuals may carry more visceral fat even at lower BMIs.
© Shutterstock
18 / 30 Fotos
BRI as an early tool
- Despite growing evidence of BRI's potential, experts stress that it is still in early stages of use. Further studies are necessary to fully evaluate its clinical applicability.
© Shutterstock
19 / 30 Fotos
BRI for health diagnosis
- BRI might supplement, but not replace, BMI. While it offers more personalized health insights, it's not yet widely used in clinical practice due to BMI's deep integration in healthcare systems.
© Shutterstock
20 / 30 Fotos
Challenges in replacing BMI
- BMI is deeply embedded in clinical practices, including growth charts, drug dosing, and population studies. Replacing it with a new system like BRI would require significant changes across healthcare.
© Shutterstock
21 / 30 Fotos
BRI’s role in clinical practice
- While BRI might supplement BMI, it doesn't require significant new technology. Implementing BRI alongside BMI in clinical practice could offer healthcare professionals a fuller picture of an individual's health.
© Shutterstock
22 / 30 Fotos
The gold standard
- The most precise assessment of body composition comes from specialized scans. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is the gold standard, though it remains costly and often challenging to access.
© Shutterstock
23 / 30 Fotos
Affordable body composition scans
- A more affordable option, the dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) scan, also provides accurate results.
© Shutterstock
24 / 30 Fotos
A future vision
- Some experts suggest moving away from general indices like BMI and BRI toward personalized health tools. Ideally, patients could be scanned for precise data upon entering a healthcare setting.
© Shutterstock
25 / 30 Fotos
BMI’s impact on mental health
- While BMI is a tool for physical health measurement, it can contribute to weight stigma and negatively impact a patient's mental health, especially when used in isolation without considering body composition.
© Shutterstock
26 / 30 Fotos
The risk of health bias in healthcare
- Measuring body circumference, as with BRI, may exacerbate weight bias if not approached sensitively. Healthcare providers must ensure that measurements are taken in a non-judgmental, supportive manner.
© Shutterstock
27 / 30 Fotos
Using BRI for health goals
- Healthcare providers may start using BRI alongside BMI to track a patient's health goals, particularly when working to manage conditions like obesity, heart disease, or type 2 diabetes.
© Shutterstock
28 / 30 Fotos
The evolution of body metrics
- As research on BRI and other metrics grows, it could become key in predicting health risks. However, a shift from BMI will be gradual, with true progress relying on a holistic, individualized approach. Sources: (Verywell Health) (Medical News Today) See also: Important health checks by age
© Shutterstock
29 / 30 Fotos
Understanding the limitations of BMI in health assessments
This is why BRI may be a better indicator of your health
© Shutterstock
Body mass index (BMI) has long been used to assess health risks, but it's increasingly criticized for its limitations. The body roundness index (BRI) is emerging as a promising alternative, offering more accurate insights into health risks by factoring in body shape and fat distribution. Unlike BMI, which only considers weight and height, BRI looks at waist and hip measurements, providing a clearer picture of health.
Curious? Click on to learn more about BRI.
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