Study Serves Another Strike Against BMI
A new study gives more evidence that the Body Mass Index (BMI) measurement may be misleading many people
Online, April 3, 2012 (Newswire.com) - Body Mass Index (BMI) is often used as an indicator of health, but a new study gives more evidence that this measurement may be misleading many people. Two researchers say that adding a simple test that measures blood levels of the hormone leptin to BMI could better identify obese people who are at risk for diabetes, heart disease and other conditions. As things stand today, they say, more than 1 in 3 Americans currently classified as slightly overweight based on BMI alone may actually be obese.
The researchers, Eric Braverman, MD of Weill-Cornell Medical College in New York and Nirav Shah, MD, MPH, the New York State Commissioner of Health, reviewed X-ray scans for more than 9,000 patients between 1998 and 2009 to measure body fat, muscle mass and bone density. Based on BMI alone, 26% were classified as obese, while 64% were considered obese based on the X-ray scans.
"You need to know your body composition and your body-fat percentage for a true indicator of your health," say boomer generation health experts Dian Griesel, Ph.D., and Tom Griesel, authors of the new books TurboCharged: Accelerate Your Fat Burning Metabolism, Get Lean Fast and Leave Diet and Exercise Rules in the Dust (April 2011, BSH) and The TurboCharged Mind (January 2012, BSH). "The better home body-composition scales will not only show your current percentage of overall body fat but also give you an idea of how much visceral fat you have. Bulging bellies without much visible or obvious fat are a pretty good indicator of the presence of dangerous visceral fat. The larger your waist measurement, the greater your risk, and it's the fat you can't see that will kill you.
"In TurboCharged we explain why BMI is not a good or accurate health indicator," the Griesels
continue. "BMI will never give you the critical information you need about your body composition to be sure your weight and health goals are on track. We suspect there are many skinny-looking yet dangerously fat people walking around with a greater risk of disease and a false sense of security based on a 'healthy' BMI number. Traditional diets focus on reducing weight rather than body fat, whereas TurboCharged shows you specifically how to reduce body fat and build lean muscle mass."
Body composition can be quickly and easily calculated on the TurboCharged website -- all that is needed is height, weight, neck and waist measurements (and hip measurements for women).
About TurboCharged:
TurboCharged® is a groundbreaking 8-Step program that defies common weight-loss theories. It successfully delivers body-defining rapid fat loss, accelerates metabolism, and improves health and odds of longevity without gimmicks, supplements or special equipment. The TurboCharged Mind is an excellent companion book to the author's acclaimed rapid fat loss book, TurboCharged, or perfect as a standalone read. A series of supporting TurboCharged™ hypnosis downloads are available for sale via the book's website, which offers ideal guided meditations to support and direct self-hypnosis sessions for faster fat loss, greater health, reduced stress, and to quit smoking. For more information, log on to http://www.turbocharged.us.com.
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