In this weight-conscious world, we are beset with numbers and formulas for optimum weight and health. Body Mass Index, or BMI, has been held as a standard for determining if you are overweight and face health risks from increased body fat. But calculating your BMI (body mass index) does not always give you a true measurement of your amount of body fat.

Research done by a team from Michigan State University and Saginaw Valley State University measured the BMI of 400 college students and found that in many cases, it was an inaccurate measurement of total body fat.

BMI doesn’t distinguish between muscle mass and fat mass. It is simply a mathematical equation using height and weight. A bodybuilder, for example, carries a lot of pounds in the form of muscle but according to BMI measurments would be overweight.

Of course, I would love to have that excuse - “It’s not fat, it’s muscle” - but alas, my doctor is unlikely to be convinced. They both bulge, but muscle doesn’t spill out over the waist of your slacks. It’s worth a shot, though. I mean, the research is out there…

Read the article at MSU

BMI calculator from National Institutes of Health