TY  - JOUR
A1  - Mumm, Rebekka
A1  - Hermanussen, Michael
T1  - A short note on the BMI and on secular changes in BMI
JF  - Human biology and public health
N2  - Human size changes over time with worldwide secular trends in height, weight, and body mass index (BMI). There is general agreement to relate the state of nutrition to height and weight, and to ratios of weight-to-height. The BMI is a ratio. It is commonly used to classify underweight, overweight and obesity in adults. Yet, the BMI is inappropriate to provide any immediate information on body composition.

It is accepted that the BMI is “a simple index to classify underweight, overweight and obesity in adults”. It is stated that “policies, programmes and investments need to be “nutrition-sensitive”, which means they must have positive impacts on nutrition”. It is also stated that “a need for policies that address all forms of malnutrition by making healthy foods accessible and affordable, while restricting unhealthy foods through fiscal and regulatory restrictions“. But these statements are neither warranted by arithmetic considerations, nor by historic evidence.

Measuring the BMI is an appropriate screening tool for detecting an unusual weight-to-height ratio, but the BMI is an inappropriate tool for estimating body composition, or suggesting medical and health policy decisions.
KW  - body mass index
KW  - secular trend
KW  - weight-to-height ratio
KW  - malnutrition
KW  - obesity
Y1  - 2021
U6  - https://doi.org/10.52905/hbph.v2.17
SN  - 2748-9957
IS  - 2
PB  - Universitätsverlag Potsdam
CY  - Potsdam
ER  -