About BMI – Origin, Purpose & Considerations
The Body Mass Index (BMI) was developed in the 1830s by Adolphe Quetelet, a Belgian mathematician and statistician, as part of his work on identifying the characteristics of the “average man.” Although it was not originally intended for individual health diagnosis, BMI became widely adopted in the 20th century as a quick and standardized way to categorize body weight based on height.
The main reason for using BMI is its simplicity—it provides a fast, cost-effective way to assess whether a person is underweight, normal weight, overweight, or obese, which can help identify potential health risks such as heart disease, diabetes, and high blood pressure.
However, it’s important to note that BMI does not measure body fat directly and does not take into account muscle mass, bone structure, age, sex, or ethnicity. Therefore, while BMI is a useful screening tool, it should be interpreted with caution and ideally combined with other assessments for a full picture of health.