BMI, body fat and waist circumference

In short: The BMI (body mass index) relates weight to height. It is a rough guide but says nothing about muscle share or fat distribution.

In more detail: BMI = weight in kg divided by height in metres squared. The normal range for adults is roughly 18.5 to 24.9.

In detail

• Limits of BMI: Muscular people can have a high BMI without carrying too much fat. Older people often have more fat at the same BMI.
• Waist circumference: More than 94 cm (men) or 80 cm (women) indicates increased health risk from belly fat.
• Waist-to-height: Waist circumference should be less than half of body height.
• Measuring body fat: Bioimpedance scales are inaccurate. Skinfold measurement and DEXA are more accurate.
• More important than numbers: Exercise, balanced diet and sleep (ausdauertraining-grundlagen, kalorien-brennwert-und-energiebedarf-was-zahlen-bedeuten).