BMI is a body fat measuring unit that helps determine whether you are healthy, overweight, underweight or obese. The full form of BMI is Body Mass Index, and it was developed almost two centuries ago by a Belgian Statistician & Mathematician. The name of the statistician and mathematician who developed this calculator is Lambert Adolphe Jacques Quetelet. He created this calculator to estimate the average physical health of a group of people. He even made it clear that it cannot be used to determine a single person’s physical health. It was developed to help the government allocate financial and health resources based on which region needs it the most as per the BMI calculator. Even though it is not recommended for determining an individual’s health, physicians still use it because of how quick and affordable it is. BMI for women is a controversial topic, so let’s find out whether or not it works.
Depending on your weight and height, BMI calculates an estimate of how healthy you are. As per doctors and medical experts, 18.5-24.9 is considered a healthy BMI for women. The BMI result, which is above 30, may indicate obesity. Even though it is possible that you are on the healthier side and your body stores fats on different parts of the body, the results will still be the same. That is why it is not recommended for individual body fat measurements. BMI measurements can surely help you understand whether you are overweight, underweight, healthy or obese, but make sure you also check with your doctor whether you should lose, gain or maintain weight. BMI for women has certain limitations because it does not specifically measure body fat and body fat distribution in different women’s bodies.
Benefits of BMI for women
Body Mass Index Calculator is a tool used to understand where you stand in terms of your physical health. Based on the results, whether you are underweight, overweight, healthy or obese will be determined. It can prove to be helpful because if you fall in the obese category or are on the verge of obesity, you can identify it and start living a healthy life. It will motivate you to start exercising, stay active, and eat healthy to be safe from diseases like type 2 diabetes, osteoarthritis, increased cholesterol, stroke, major heart conditions, any form of cancer, and other diseases. These can be life-threatening, and that is when the BMI calculator will help you get on the track of fitness.
Drawbacks of BMI for women
BMI is a body fat calculator, but it does not consider whether your weight comes from your bone, muscles, or fats. It only takes into consideration your weight and height. Therefore, it is possible that if you are muscular, you may have the same BMI as a person who is overweight. Also, the proportion of fat, muscles and bone in bodies, especially female bodies, change as they age. For example, you were considered healthy in your 20’s as per the BMI calculations. As you age, your body starts storing fat in your belly area; the other body parts begin losing weight. But you still weigh the same as you did when you were in your 20’s; you will still be considered healthy even when prone to cardiovascular disease.
