Q. With reference to the Body Mass Index (BMI), consider the following statements::
1.BMI measures bone structure, and fat distribution.
2.Muscular and athletic individuals may be placed in the overweight and obese categories.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Statement 1 is incorrect: Body mass index is a value derived from the mass and height of a person. The BMI is defined as the body mass divided by the square of the body height, and is expressed in units of kg/m², resulting from mass in kilograms and height in metres.
The main flaw with BMI is it is an indirect measure of body fat that doesn’t take into account important details about age, sex, bone structure, and fat distribution.
Statement 2 is incorrect: Muscular and athletic folks may be placed in the overweight and obese categories. For instance, majority of elite boxers classify as fat, or obese, on the BMI chart.
Mike Tyson in his prime, weighed 100 kgs. He was 1.78 metres tall. So he had a BMI of 31.5, which qualifies as “obese”. Muhammad Ali — “The Greatest” also had a BMI of 29.5 in 1965, which is “very fat”.
Source: Business Standard
