Weight is an etern
ally-pressing topic, but conversations around GLP-1s and other weight loss drugs have brought it to the forefront even more.
Body mass index (BMI) is the tool doctors use to calculate whether someone is underweight, at a healthy weight, overweight or obese. But because BMI calculations can’t tell the difference between body fat, muscle and bone mass, it’s not always the best way to actually tell if a patient is healthy, many medical experts argue.
“We know that muscle weighs more than fat, so their weight may not be a good indicator of how much fat they have in their body,” says Dr. Jennifer Brull, president of the American Academy of Family Physicians. “Patients who suffer from being overweight or obese can face stigma. Focusing too much on weight rather than taking a more holistic approach can be detrimental to the care of all patients. Addressing these health risks require a customized, sensitive approach from a family physician.”
What is considered overweight?
BMI is calculated using a person’s weight and height, with the idea that it can show if a person’s weight is healthy based on an estimation of their body fat percentage.
“A BMI that is low could mean a person doesn’t have enough body fat. A high BMI could mean that they have too much body fat,” Brull says, though she notes that “every body is different and BMI isn’t one-size-fits-all.”
Per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), these are the BMI categories for adults 20 and older:
- Underweight: BMI is less than 18.5
- Healthy Weight: 18.5 to less than 25
- Overweight: 25 to less than 30
- Obesity: 30 or greater
- Class 1 Obesity: 30 to less than 35
- Class 2 Obesity: 35 to less than 40
- Class 3 Obesity: 40 or greater
