BMI an unreliable indicator of healthy size, study finds

Australians bellies are expanding faster than overall weight gain, according to new statistics.

The data from Deakin and Monash Universities shows average waist circumference is increasing faster than overall weight gain, leading some to question whether the BMI is the best way to define a person’s healthy weight, as reported in The Herald Sun.

Emma Gearon, lead researcher and research fellow in Deakin’s Global Obesity Centre, told Justin and Kate body mass calculators are not detecting the full scale of Australia’s obesity problem.

“We’ve always known that BMI has its limitations,” she said.

“It can’t differentiate as to whether you have a lot of muscle or whether you have a lot of fat mass.”

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