When BMI Is Misleading — Accuracy Limits

BMI is cheap population screening: weight divided by height squared. It ignores body composition, fat distribution, bone density, and ethnicity-specific risk thresholds.

Who should interpret cautiously

• Strength athletes with high lean mass.
• Older adults losing muscle (sarcopenic obesity).
• Pregnant people and children (use pediatric percentiles instead).

Pair BMI with waist circumference trends and clinical advice. Compute BMI on the BMI Calculator and energy needs on the Calorie Counter.