Is BMI an Accurate Measure of Health?

[Choppy]

I saw this article this morning:
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/02/160204042240.htm

According to the article close to half of the people considered "overweight" by the BMI are in fact healthy by other more rigorous metrics, and about 30% of those with a "normal" BMI are unhealthy.

I would argue that like any other metric, BMI can be used as a tool by physicians to evaluate health, but that's because physicians are generally aware of it's limitations. The danger comes in when employers and insurance companies start applying it blindly.

 

[gleem]

The health issue of obesity and overweight as it is usually posed is that these people are at more risk of developing metabolic syndrome or cardiovascular disease later on in life not that they have it. If you are young enough you are usually healthy. Smoker are healthy until they develop lung cancer or COPD.

There is no reference to age so It seems they studied the whole population not the part (>60 yrs) that is more likely to manifest a disease process.