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Body Mass Index-Is it Reliable Indicator of Obesity?

Aparna Chandrasekaran

Body mass index (BMI) is a universally accepted anthropometric method to classify overweight and obesity. The term was coined by Ancel Keys, also known as the Quetelet index; it is a value of body mass derived by dividing weight in kilograms by height in squared meters. BMI is easy is to calculate, reproducible and least expensive way to categorize weight but limited by number of factors. Gender, ethnicity, body composition are few important factors that affects the credibility of BMI. Yet it is used as gold standard to diagnose, categorize and treat overweight/ obesity. After critical analysis and detailed discussion of the limiting factors this review article concludes that BMI should not be used as the only criteria and that, it should be used along with waist circumference, skin fold thickness measurement and body composition analysis to diagnose obesity/overweight with greater accuracy.