For decades, health experts have relied on body mass index (BMI), a ratio of weight to height, to classify people as underweight, normal weight, overweight or obese. But sometimes, you need more than two numbers to understand your health. For example, BMI can't tell you how much of your weight is fat versus muscle. That's why a growing number of researchers and physicians prefer other metrics instead. NPR health correspondent Allison Aubrey breaks down the history and shortcomings of BMI, and shares other methods to get a fuller picture of your body. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy
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That is my current body mass index, or BMI.
This is the number that for decades, health experts have used to classify people as underweight, normal weight, overweight, or obese.
Like right now, you can hop onto the NIH website and find out your BMI, or maybe dont because a growing number of researchers and physicians think its time for a new metric because that number doesnt actually tell you all that much.
But if not BMI, then what?
What numbers can we use to help us track our health to make sure were achieving whatever health goals we might have in mind?
In this episode of Lifekit, I talk with NPR health correspondent Allyson Aubrey about the history and shortcomings of BMI and also this relatively new way of getting a fuller picture about your own body.
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