Understanding BMI, and where it falls short
BMI is a quick screen, not a diagnosis. Here's how to read it, what it misses, and what to do with the number.
Body Mass Index (BMI) is a simple calculation from your height and weight. It sorts weight into broad ranges (underweight, healthy, overweight, and obesity), and it's useful as a fast, free starting point.
What BMI doesn't capture
BMI can't tell muscle from fat, doesn't account for where you carry weight, and doesn't reflect your fitness, labs, or history. A very muscular person and a sedentary person can share a BMI while having very different health pictures.
How to use it
Treat BMI as one data point that's worth a conversation, not a verdict. If yours sits outside the healthy range, that's a reason to talk with a provider who can look at the whole picture, not a reason to panic or crash-diet.
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