{"id":3925,"date":"2025-07-01T14:00:11","date_gmt":"2025-07-01T14:00:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usamedicarestore.com\/index.php\/2025\/07\/01\/bmi-is-b-a-d-a-new-study-suggests-heres-a-better-way-to-measure-weight\/"},"modified":"2025-07-01T14:00:11","modified_gmt":"2025-07-01T14:00:11","slug":"bmi-is-b-a-d-a-new-study-suggests-heres-a-better-way-to-measure-weight","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/usamedicarestore.com\/index.php\/2025\/07\/01\/bmi-is-b-a-d-a-new-study-suggests-heres-a-better-way-to-measure-weight\/","title":{"rendered":"BMI is B-A-D, a new study suggests. Here\u2019s a better way to measure weight"},"content":{"rendered":"<div data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/action-bar\/instances\/cmcasw5ac004j26p62p7dfrz8@published\" data-label-id-prefix=\"action-bar-start-of-article\" class=\"action-bar\" data-dynamic-breakpoint-placement=\"{&quot;extraLarge&quot;:{&quot;placement&quot;:&quot;.layout-article-elevate__left&quot;}}\" data-expand-conditions=\"{&quot;follow&quot;:{&quot;extraLarge&quot;:{&quot;alwaysExpand&quot;:true}},&quot;shareOptions&quot;:{&quot;large&quot;:{&quot;maxNumOfActions&quot;:1},&quot;medium&quot;:{&quot;maxNumOfActions&quot;:1},&quot;extraLarge&quot;:{&quot;withAction&quot;:&quot;follow&quot;,&quot;maxNumOfActions&quot;:2}}}\">\n<div class=\"action-bar__overlay\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"action-bar__action-sheet\">\n<div class=\"action-bar__action-sheet--header\">\n<div class=\"action-bar__action-sheet--header-title\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"action-bar__action-sheet--header-close\">                            <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"action-bar__action-sheet--action\" data-title=\"follow\">\n<div data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/follow-topics-bar\/instances\/cmcasw5ac004n26p62f2u2bme@published\" data-unauth-redirect=\"\/account\/register\/follow\" data-embed-max-topics=\"\" class=\"follow-topics-bar follow-topics-bar_overlay follow-topics-bar--hide\">\n<div class=\"follow-topics-bar_overlay__inner\">\n<div class=\"follow-topics-bar_overlay__scroll-wrapper\">                  <button data-unselectable=\"true\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/chip\/instances\/cmcasw5ac004o26p6a424hrr6@published\" class=\"chip follow-topics-chip \" data-component-variation=\"follow-topics-chip\" data-component-name=\"chip\" data-zjs=\"click\" data-enable-interstitial=\"true\" data-override-success=\"\" data-label=\"Food &amp; health\" data-id=\"6f968f85-96cc-4ed6-ab5f-9d54ff7b2966\" data-reset-on-log-out=\"true\">    <span class=\"chip__label\">Food &amp; health<\/span>    <span class=\"chip__icon\">        <span class=\"chip__icon--check\"><\/span>        <span class=\"chip__icon--add\"><\/span>    <\/span><\/button>                  <button data-unselectable=\"true\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/chip\/instances\/cmcasw5ac004o26p6a424hrr6@published\" class=\"chip follow-topics-chip \" data-component-variation=\"follow-topics-chip\" data-component-name=\"chip\" data-zjs=\"click\" data-enable-interstitial=\"true\" data-override-success=\"\" data-label=\"Wellness\" data-id=\"a3dee75f-6666-4b55-82a6-7f419e85b37e\" data-reset-on-log-out=\"true\">    <span class=\"chip__label\">Wellness<\/span>    <span class=\"chip__icon\">        <span class=\"chip__icon--check\"><\/span>        <span class=\"chip__icon--add\"><\/span>    <\/span><\/button>        <\/div>\n<div class=\"follow-topics-bar_overlay__fade follow-topics-bar_overlay__fade--hide\"><\/div>\n<p>                      See all topics              <\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"action-bar__action-sheet--action\" data-title=\"share options\">\n<div data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/social-share\/instances\/cmcasw5ac004m26p6fy4i02dx@published\" class=\"social-share_labelled-list\">\n<div class=\"social-share_labelled-list__share-links vossi-social-share_labelled-list\" data-type=\"share-links\">        <button class=\"social-share_labelled-list__share\" data-url=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/dialog\/share?app_id=80401312489&amp;href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cnn.com%2F2025%2F06%2F24%2Fhealth%2Fbmi-versus-body-fat-wellness&amp;display=popup\" data-type=\"facebook\" aria-label=\"share with facebook\" title=\"Share with Facebook\">                                <span class=\"social-share_labelled-list__share-links--label\">Facebook<\/span>        <\/button>        <button class=\"social-share_labelled-list__share\" data-url=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=Check%20out%20this%20article%3A&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cnn.com%2F2025%2F06%2F24%2Fhealth%2Fbmi-versus-body-fat-wellness\" data-type=\"x\" aria-label=\"share with x\" title=\"Share with X\">                                <span class=\"social-share_labelled-list__share-links--label\">Tweet<\/span>        <\/button>                                        <span class=\"social-share_labelled-list__share-links--label\">Email<\/span>                <button class=\"social-share_labelled-list__share\" data-url=\"https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/2025\/06\/24\/health\/bmi-versus-body-fat-wellness\" data-type=\"copy\" aria-label=\"copy link to clipboard\" title=\"Copy link to clipboard\">                                <span class=\"social-share_labelled-list__share-links--label\">Link<\/span>        <\/button>        <\/p>\n<div class=\"social-share_labelled-list__copied\" data-type=\"message\">                        Link Copied!        <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>    <button class=\"social-share_labelled-list__open\" data-type=\"open\" aria-label=\"open social share\" title=\"Open social share\">            <\/button>    <button class=\"social-share_labelled-list__close\" data-type=\"close\" aria-label=\"close social share\" title=\"Close social share\">            <\/button><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"action-bar__buttons\">            <button class=\"action-bar__button\" data-title=\"follow\">                                        Follow            <\/button>            <button class=\"action-bar__button\" data-title=\"share options\">                                <\/button>    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"paragraph-elevate inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cmcasw5ac004l26p6aub9gug9@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            When it comes to measuring weight, BMI is the acronym everyone loves to hate. Health professionals have long used body mass index as a quick screening tool to fast-track certain patients into a \u201ccode red\u201d<strong> <\/strong>management plan \u2014 people whose weight puts them in danger of future health problems.    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph-elevate inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cmcat1f7q000f3b6m220npoj7@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            The issue is that BMI measures health risk by calculating height and weight. However, muscle and bone weigh more than fat, so BMI measurements can overestimate the danger for people with a muscular build or a larger frame. Conversely, BMI can underestimate health concerns in older adults and anyone who has lost muscle, according to the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health in Boston.    <\/p>\n<div data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/related-content\/instances\/cmcat50op00193b6m3dfcthns@published\" data-component-name=\"related-content\" class=\"related-content-elevate related-content--article\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">\n<header class=\"related-content__title related-content__title-text\" data-editable=\"content.title\">Related article<\/header>\n<section class=\"related-content__body\">\n<div class=\"related-content__image image__related-content\">\n<div data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/image\/instances\/cm69h0kxq001j26nzeur69cad@published\" class=\"image-elevate image__hide-placeholder\" data-image-variation=\"image\" data-name=\"GettyImages-1459918336.jpg\" data-component-name=\"image\" data-observe-resizes=\"\" data-breakpoints=\"{&quot;image--eq-extra-small&quot;: 115, &quot;image--eq-small&quot;: 300, &quot;image--eq-large&quot;: 660}\" data-original-ratio=\"0.6665\" data-original-height=\"1333\" data-original-width=\"2000\" data-url=\"https:\/\/media.cnn.com\/api\/v1\/images\/stellar\/prod\/gettyimages-1459918336.jpg?c=original\" data-editable=\"settings\">\n<div class=\"image__container \" data-image-variation=\"image\" data-breakpoints=\"{&quot;image--eq-extra-small&quot;: 115, &quot;image--eq-small&quot;: 300, &quot;image--show-credits&quot;: 525}\">           <\/div>\n<div class=\"image__metadata-container media__metadata-container\">\n<div class=\"image__metadata media__metadata\">\n<div class=\"image__caption attribution\">    <span data-editable=\"metaCaption\" class=\"inline-placeholder\">Midsection of doctor measuring patient\u2019s waist with tape measure. Healthcare consultation. Health and wellbeing.<\/span>  <\/div><figcaption class=\"image__credit\">Oscar Wong\/Moment RF\/Getty Images<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"related-content__headline\">        <span class=\"related-content__headline-text\" data-editable=\"content.headline\">A new definition of obesity goes beyond BMI. What this could mean for you<\/span>      <\/p>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"paragraph-elevate inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cmcat1f7q000g3b6mbmg9cnb5@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            Now, authors of a new study say a different approach to weight measurement may be a more accurate way to predict future health issues. Bioelectrical impedance analysis, or BIA, uses undetectable electric currents to measure not only the percentage of body fat but also lean muscle mass and water weight.    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph-elevate inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cmcat1f7q000h3b6mgnf5tram@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            The technology works like this: You stand on metal plates on the machine while holding your hands or thumbs on another metal attachment held away from the body. Once started, the machine sends a weak electrical current through the body. Body fat, muscle and bone all have different electrical conductivity, so the machine uses algorithms to determine lean muscle mass, body fat percentage and water weight.    <\/p>\n<div data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/image\/instances\/cmcatd42c00013b6ki7amfvaf@published\" class=\"image_large-elevate portrait image_large__hide-placeholder\" data-image-variation=\"image_large\" data-name=\"IMG_8425.jpg\" data-component-name=\"image\" data-observe-resizes=\"\" data-breakpoints=\"{&quot;image_large--eq-extra-small&quot;: 115, &quot;image_large--eq-small&quot;: 300, &quot;image_large--eq-large&quot;: 660}\" data-original-ratio=\"1.3335\" data-original-height=\"2667\" data-original-width=\"2000\" data-url=\"https:\/\/media.cnn.com\/api\/v1\/images\/stellar\/prod\/img-8425.jpg?c=original\" data-editable=\"settings\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">\n<div class=\"image_large__container \" data-image-variation=\"image_large\" data-breakpoints=\"{&quot;image_large--eq-extra-small&quot;: 115, &quot;image_large--eq-small&quot;: 300, &quot;image_large--show-credits&quot;: 525}\">           <\/div>\n<div class=\"image_large__metadata-container media__metadata-container\">\n<div class=\"image_large__metadata media__metadata\">\n<div class=\"image_large__caption attribution\">    <span data-editable=\"metaCaption\" class=\"inline-placeholder\">A mild electric current is sent through the body via the feet and thumbs on this bioelectrical impedance analysis machine.<\/span>  <\/div><figcaption class=\"image_large__credit\">Shannon Helfman<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"paragraph-elevate inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cmcat1f7q000i3b6my9o21rqf@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            \u201cWe found body-fat percentage to be a stronger predictor of 15-year mortality risk in adults between the ages of 20 and 49 than BMI,\u201d said Arch Mainous III, lead author of the study published Tuesday in the journal Annals of Family Medicine.    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph-elevate inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cmcat1f7q000j3b6m5xn75sah@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            When it came to deaths from heart disease, people with high body fat as measured by BIA were 262% times more likely to die than people who had a healthy percentage of body fat, said Mainous, a professor and vice chair of research in community health and family medicine at the University of Florida School of Medicine.    <\/p>\n<div data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/related-content\/instances\/cmcat5r6q001b3b6mqlvz8ibk@published\" data-component-name=\"related-content\" class=\"related-content-elevate related-content--article\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">\n<header class=\"related-content__title related-content__title-text\" data-editable=\"content.title\">Related article<\/header>\n<section class=\"related-content__body\">\n<div class=\"related-content__image image__related-content\">\n<div data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/image\/instances\/cmc2h6lvl00ay26nx8vjj3yq1@published\" class=\"image-elevate image__hide-placeholder\" data-image-variation=\"image\" data-name=\"GettyImages-857902224.jpg\" data-component-name=\"image\" data-observe-resizes=\"\" data-breakpoints=\"{&quot;image--eq-extra-small&quot;: 115, &quot;image--eq-small&quot;: 300, &quot;image--eq-large&quot;: 660}\" data-original-ratio=\"0.6805\" data-original-height=\"1361\" data-original-width=\"2000\" data-url=\"https:\/\/media.cnn.com\/api\/v1\/images\/stellar\/prod\/gettyimages-857902224.jpg?c=original\" data-editable=\"settings\">\n<div class=\"image__container \" data-image-variation=\"image\" data-breakpoints=\"{&quot;image--eq-extra-small&quot;: 115, &quot;image--eq-small&quot;: 300, &quot;image--show-credits&quot;: 525}\">           <\/div>\n<div class=\"image__metadata-container media__metadata-container\">\n<div class=\"image__metadata media__metadata\">\n<div class=\"image__caption attribution\">    <span data-editable=\"metaCaption\" class=\"inline-placeholder\">Fitness woman skipping with a jump rope outdoors. Female doing fitness training in morning.<\/span>  <\/div><figcaption class=\"image__credit\">jacoblund\/iStockphoto\/Getty Images<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"related-content__headline\">        <span class=\"related-content__headline-text\" data-editable=\"content.headline\">Instead of worrying about your weight, focus on avoiding fragility<\/span>      <\/p>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"paragraph-elevate inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cmcat1f7q000k3b6m874n5uu5@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            \u201cNow remember, using BMI did not flag any risk at all in this younger population, which isn\u2019t one we typically consider to be at high risk for heart disease,\u201d said senior author Dr. Frank Orlando, a clinical associate professor of community health and family medicine at University of Florida Health.    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph-elevate inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cmcat1f7q000l3b6mj55khzf9@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            \u201cThink of the interventions we can do to keep them healthy when we know this early. I think it\u2019s a game-changer for how we should look at body composition,\u201d Orlando said.    <\/p>\n<h2 class=\"subheader inline-placeholder subheader-elevate vossi-subheader vossi-subheader--size-h2\" data-editable=\"text\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/subheader\/instances\/cmcat1fpw00163b6mukojta2q@published\" data-component-name=\"subheader\" id=\"the-problem-with-bmi\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">        The problem with BMI<\/h2>\n<p class=\"paragraph-elevate inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cmcat1f7q000m3b6mvynv1fsg@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            BMI is measured by dividing your weight by the square of your height. (If you are mathematically challenged like I am, the National Institutes of Health has a free calculator.)    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph-elevate inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cmcat1f7q000n3b6mnb15saez@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            In BMI world, a body mass between 18.5 and 24.9 is a healthy weight, between 25 and 29.9  is overweight, between 30 and 34.9 is obese, between 35 and 39.9 is class 2 obesity, and anything greater than 40 is \u201csevere\u201d or class 3 obesity. People are considered underweight if their BMI is lower than 18.5.    <\/p>\n<div data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/related-content\/instances\/cmcat6xfa001d3b6m66z5aqy4@published\" data-component-name=\"related-content\" class=\"related-content-elevate related-content--article\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">\n<header class=\"related-content__title related-content__title-text\" data-editable=\"content.title\">Related article<\/header>\n<section class=\"related-content__body\">\n<div class=\"related-content__image image__related-content\">\n<div data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/image\/instances\/cmbkw99ra006326nw0jy27lg5@published\" class=\"image-elevate image__hide-placeholder\" data-image-variation=\"image\" data-name=\"GettyImages-1304984151.jpg\" data-component-name=\"image\" data-observe-resizes=\"\" data-breakpoints=\"{&quot;image--eq-extra-small&quot;: 115, &quot;image--eq-small&quot;: 300, &quot;image--eq-large&quot;: 660}\" data-original-ratio=\"0.6665\" data-original-height=\"1333\" data-original-width=\"2000\" data-url=\"https:\/\/media.cnn.com\/api\/v1\/images\/stellar\/prod\/gettyimages-1304984151.jpg?c=original\" data-editable=\"settings\">\n<div class=\"image__container \" data-image-variation=\"image\" data-breakpoints=\"{&quot;image--eq-extra-small&quot;: 115, &quot;image--eq-small&quot;: 300, &quot;image--show-credits&quot;: 525}\">           <\/div>\n<div class=\"image__metadata-container media__metadata-container\">\n<div class=\"image__metadata media__metadata\">\n<div class=\"image__caption attribution\">    <span data-editable=\"metaCaption\" class=\"inline-placeholder\">Weight stigma can be particularly difficult when internalized, experts said.<\/span>  <\/div><figcaption class=\"image__credit\">Maskot\/Maskot\/Getty Images<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"related-content__headline\">        <span class=\"related-content__headline-text\" data-editable=\"content.headline\">Weight stigma isn\u2019t just cruel \u2014 it makes losing weight harder<\/span>      <\/p>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"paragraph-elevate inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cmcat1f7q000o3b6mst08i56w@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            Using BMI to measure health risk works \u2014 on a population level. Countless studies have shown that a greater BMI really does correlate with developing chronic diseases of all kinds \u2014 cancer, heart disease, type 2 diabetes, kidney and liver disease, and more.    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph-elevate inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cmcat1f7q000p3b6m8pxrlze6@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            Where BMI fails is at the patient level. Imagine a patient who is \u201cskinny fat\u201d \u2014 thin on the outside but riddled with globs of fat wrapped around major organs on the inside. Your BMI would be fine even though your health was at risk.    <\/p>\n<div data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/image\/instances\/cmcatnkho00023b6m75zoxqd6@published\" class=\"image_large-elevate image_large__hide-placeholder\" data-image-variation=\"image_large\" data-name=\"GettyImages-1064541186.jpg\" data-component-name=\"image\" data-observe-resizes=\"\" data-breakpoints=\"{&quot;image_large--eq-extra-small&quot;: 115, &quot;image_large--eq-small&quot;: 300, &quot;image_large--eq-large&quot;: 660}\" data-original-ratio=\"0.6665\" data-original-height=\"1333\" data-original-width=\"2000\" data-url=\"https:\/\/media.cnn.com\/api\/v1\/images\/stellar\/prod\/gettyimages-1064541186.jpg?c=original\" data-editable=\"settings\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">\n<div class=\"image_large__container \" data-image-variation=\"image_large\" data-breakpoints=\"{&quot;image_large--eq-extra-small&quot;: 115, &quot;image_large--eq-small&quot;: 300, &quot;image_large--show-credits&quot;: 525}\">           <\/div>\n<div class=\"image_large__metadata-container media__metadata-container\">\n<div class=\"image_large__metadata media__metadata\">\n<div class=\"image_large__caption attribution\">    <span data-editable=\"metaCaption\" class=\"inline-placeholder\">While waist circumference is a better tool than BMI, it&#8217;s not as accurate as bioelectrical impedance analysis.<\/span>  <\/div><figcaption class=\"image_large__credit\">Ralf Geithe\/iStockphoto\/Getty Images<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"paragraph-elevate inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cmcat1f7q000q3b6mcviqdlej@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            \u201cThose people are more likely to have nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, more likely to have elevated glucose, more likely to have elevated blood pressure, and more likely to have inflammation in general,\u201d Mainous said.    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph-elevate inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cmcat1f7q000r3b6mx4iezs3d@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            All of these health issues can be treated, stopped and in some cases even reversed if caught early enough, he added.    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph-elevate inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cmcat1f7q000s3b6mbhnpglm7@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            While doctors are aware of the issues with BMI, many prefer it \u201cbecause it is cheap and easily put into practice,\u201d Mainous said. \u201cThey\u2019d like to use a more direct measurement such as a DEXA scan, but those cost too much and are not widely available, so everyone falls back to the indirect measure of BMI.\u201d    <\/p>\n<div data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/related-content\/instances\/cmcat7ojq001f3b6m5vu8zap7@published\" data-component-name=\"related-content\" class=\"related-content-elevate related-content--article\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">\n<header class=\"related-content__title related-content__title-text\" data-editable=\"content.title\">Related article<\/header>\n<section class=\"related-content__body\">\n<div class=\"related-content__image image__related-content\">\n<div data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/image\/instances\/cmb5m663500d226pd4ei2gbp6@published\" class=\"image-elevate image__hide-placeholder\" data-image-variation=\"image\" data-name=\"GettyImages-1056000026.jpg\" data-component-name=\"image\" data-observe-resizes=\"\" data-breakpoints=\"{&quot;image--eq-extra-small&quot;: 115, &quot;image--eq-small&quot;: 300, &quot;image--eq-large&quot;: 660}\" data-original-ratio=\"0.5626666666666666\" data-original-height=\"1688\" data-original-width=\"3000\" data-url=\"https:\/\/media.cnn.com\/api\/v1\/images\/stellar\/prod\/gettyimages-1056000026.jpg?c=original\" data-editable=\"settings\">\n<div class=\"image__container \" data-image-variation=\"image\" data-breakpoints=\"{&quot;image--eq-extra-small&quot;: 115, &quot;image--eq-small&quot;: 300, &quot;image--show-credits&quot;: 525}\">           <\/div>\n<div class=\"image__metadata-container media__metadata-container\">\n<div class=\"image__metadata media__metadata\">\n<div class=\"image__caption attribution\">    <span data-editable=\"metaCaption\" class=\"inline-placeholder\">Weight loss from behavioral changes was linked to a lowered risk of chronic diseases, the study said.<\/span>  <\/div><figcaption class=\"image__credit\">FatCamera\/E+\/Getty Images<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"related-content__headline\">        <span class=\"related-content__headline-text\" data-editable=\"content.headline\">Losing weight in middle age could reduce chronic diseases later, study shows<\/span>      <\/p>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"paragraph-elevate inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cmcat1f7q000t3b6m8gvrtux0@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            DEXA stands for dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry and is the gold standard for body mass analysis. Such machines can cost between $45,000 and $80,000, so patients typically travel to a hospital or specialty center to get the scan, Orlando said. The cost to the patient can easily be $400 to $500 per scan, he said.    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph-elevate inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cmcat1f7q000u3b6majeiw3b9@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            \u201cHowever, we found the newer versions of bioelectrical impedance are pretty accurate, giving some valid and reliable results,\u201d Orlando said.    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph-elevate inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cmcat1f7q000v3b6m6iu1x9zv@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            One note \u2014 at-home based bioelectrical impedance products are not nearly as accurate, said Dr. Andrew Freeman, director of cardiovascular prevention and wellness at National Jewish Health in Denver.    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph-elevate inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cmcat1f7q000w3b6ma2uuvyrx@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            \u201cThey can be affected a lot by how much body fluid you have, how hydrated you are,\u201d said Freeman, who was not involved with the new research. \u201cAt-home measurements will only give a ballpark \u2014 the clinic-based machines are more precise.\u201d    <\/p>\n<h2 class=\"subheader inline-placeholder subheader-elevate vossi-subheader vossi-subheader--size-h2\" data-editable=\"text\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/subheader\/instances\/cmcat1fqb00173b6mopf8hca4@published\" data-component-name=\"subheader\" id=\"is-it-time-for-doctors-to-embrace-body-fat-measurements\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">        Is it time for doctors to embrace body fat measurements?<\/h2>\n<p class=\"paragraph-elevate inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cmcat1f7q000x3b6mcwvtv233@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            The new study analyzed data on 4,252 men and women who participated in the 1999 to 2004 federal survey called NHANES, or the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, a yearly checkup of the nation\u2019s health.    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph-elevate inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cmcat1f7q000y3b6maqeuy5je@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            Technicians measured each person\u2019s body composition, including height, weight and waist circumference. In addition, all participants underwent a clinic-based bioelectrical impedance analysis, which measures the body\u2019s resistance to electrical currents.    <\/p>\n<div data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/related-content\/instances\/cmcat8f5j001h3b6m7pdpk4h9@published\" data-component-name=\"related-content\" class=\"related-content-elevate related-content--article\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">\n<header class=\"related-content__title related-content__title-text\" data-editable=\"content.title\">Related article<\/header>\n<section class=\"related-content__body\">\n<div class=\"related-content__image image__related-content\">\n<div data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/image\/instances\/clnvumkuy000f67qd6g8r4dib@published\" class=\"image-elevate image__hide-placeholder\" data-image-variation=\"image\" data-name=\"GettyImages-1457433817.jpg\" data-component-name=\"image\" data-observe-resizes=\"\" data-breakpoints=\"{&quot;image--eq-extra-small&quot;: 115, &quot;image--eq-small&quot;: 300, &quot;image--eq-large&quot;: 660}\" data-original-ratio=\"0.667027027027027\" data-original-height=\"1234\" data-original-width=\"1850\" data-url=\"https:\/\/media.cnn.com\/api\/v1\/images\/stellar\/prod\/gettyimages-1457433817.jpg?c=original\" data-editable=\"settings\">\n<div class=\"image__container \" data-image-variation=\"image\" data-breakpoints=\"{&quot;image--eq-extra-small&quot;: 115, &quot;image--eq-small&quot;: 300, &quot;image--show-credits&quot;: 525}\">           <\/div>\n<div class=\"image__metadata-container media__metadata-container\">\n<div class=\"image__metadata media__metadata\">\n<div class=\"image__caption attribution\">    <span data-editable=\"metaCaption\" class=\"inline-placeholder\">Overhead view of a large group of healthy raw food for flexitarian mediterranean diet. The composition includes salmon, chicken breast, canned tuna, cow steak,  fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, dairi products, olive oil, eggs and legumes. High resolution 42Mp studio digital capture taken with SONY A7rII and Zeiss Batis 40mm F2.0 CF lens<\/span>  <\/div><figcaption class=\"image__credit\">fcafotodigital\/iStockphoto\/Getty Images<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"related-content__headline\">        <span class=\"related-content__headline-text\" data-editable=\"content.headline\">This diet with exercise reduces dangerous belly fat and more, study says<\/span>      <\/p>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"paragraph-elevate inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cmcat1f7q000z3b6meptedfsb@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            Researchers then compared that data with the National Death Index through 2019 to see how many people died. After adjusting for age, race and poverty status, the study found a BMI that labeled someone as obese was not associated with a statistically significant higher risk of death from any cause, when compared with those in healthy BMI range.    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph-elevate inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cmcat1f7q00103b6mv9c59k3y@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            People with high body fat as measured by bioimpedance analysis, however, were 78% more likely to die from any cause, Mainous said. Measuring waist circumference was also helpful, but not as accurate as body mass.    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph-elevate inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cmcat1f7q00113b6m7zmhsp28@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            Add that to the 262% higher chance of dying from heart disease found by the study, and it\u2019s a no-brainer for doctors to use bioelectrical impedance analysis on patients, Orlando said.    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph-elevate inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cmcat1f7q00123b6mkq1a80oy@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            \u201cLet\u2019s face it, the magnitude of risk this study shows is enormous,\u201d Freeman said. \u201cIt\u2019s scary to think that we may have been using a surrogate \u2014 BMI \u2014 that may not have been all that accurate over the years.\u201d    <\/p>\n<div data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/related-content\/instances\/cmcataong001j3b6mau4ju5zh@published\" data-component-name=\"related-content\" class=\"related-content-elevate related-content--article\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">\n<header class=\"related-content__title related-content__title-text\" data-editable=\"content.title\">Related article<\/header>\n<section class=\"related-content__body\">\n<div class=\"related-content__image image__related-content\">\n<div data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/image\/instances\/cm9a6pwr3009026qb8lkf7bz5@published\" class=\"image-elevate image__hide-placeholder\" data-image-variation=\"image\" data-name=\"GettyImages-891635002.jpg\" data-component-name=\"image\" data-observe-resizes=\"\" data-breakpoints=\"{&quot;image--eq-extra-small&quot;: 115, &quot;image--eq-small&quot;: 300, &quot;image--eq-large&quot;: 660}\" data-original-ratio=\"0.6675\" data-original-height=\"1335\" data-original-width=\"2000\" data-url=\"https:\/\/media.cnn.com\/api\/v1\/images\/stellar\/prod\/gettyimages-891635002.jpg?c=original\" data-editable=\"settings\">\n<div class=\"image__container \" data-image-variation=\"image\" data-breakpoints=\"{&quot;image--eq-extra-small&quot;: 115, &quot;image--eq-small&quot;: 300, &quot;image--show-credits&quot;: 525}\">           <\/div>\n<div class=\"image__metadata-container media__metadata-container\">\n<div class=\"image__metadata media__metadata\">\n<div class=\"image__caption attribution\">    <span data-editable=\"metaCaption\" class=\"inline-placeholder\">Cropped shot of an unrecognizable woman using ingredients to make a healthy salad<\/span>  <\/div><figcaption class=\"image__credit\">jeffbergen\/E+\/Getty Images<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"related-content__headline\">        <span class=\"related-content__headline-text\" data-editable=\"content.headline\">Lower-calorie Mediterranean diet and exercise limit bone loss, even during weight loss, study finds<\/span>      <\/p>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"paragraph-elevate inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cmcat1f7q00133b6mi3u19d49@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            The study shows how better weight measurements could easily become personalized medicine, Freeman added.    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph-elevate inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cmcat1f7q00143b6m3lkve8gq@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            \u201cImagine you came into your doctor\u2019s office,\u201d he said. \u201cThey provided your body fat percentage and an individualized risk assessment. They talked to you about exercise and other lifestyle changes and referred you to a nutritionist.    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph-elevate inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cmcat1f7q00153b6mbysjmswg@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            \u201cThey gave you an opportunity to make these changes, and then if needed, helped you out with medication. If the medical profession did this and were able to save many more lives, that would be amazing.\u201d    <\/p>\n<\/p>\n<div>This post appeared first on cnn.com<\/div>\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Food &amp; health Wellness See all topics Facebook Tweet Email Link Link Copied! Follow When it comes to measuring weight, BMI is the acronym everyone loves to hate. Health professionals have long used body mass index as a quick screening tool to fast-track certain patients into a \u201ccode red\u201d management plan \u2014 people whose weight <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3926,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[22],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-3925","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-health-news"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/usamedicarestore.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3925","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/usamedicarestore.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/usamedicarestore.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usamedicarestore.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usamedicarestore.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3925"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/usamedicarestore.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3925\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usamedicarestore.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3926"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/usamedicarestore.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3925"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usamedicarestore.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3925"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usamedicarestore.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3925"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}