Body mass index (BMI) is an "imperfect" measure of body fat with a "problematic history," so the metric should be used in conjunction with other measures of health risk, such as a patient's genetics, blood pressure, cholesterol and other metabolic factors, according to new guidelines from the American Medical Association (AMA).
In a new report presented at the 2023 AMA Annual Meeting in Chicago this month, AMA council members noted that BMI, which roughly estimates a person's body fat based on their weight and height, doesn't distinguish between body fat and lean body mass. Moreover, BMI doesn't capture where on the body people carry excess fat. This is important because upper body fat increases the risk of type 2 diabetes and coronary artery disease more than does lower body fat.
