For decades, Body Mass Index (BMI) has been the standard for assessing health risks related to weight. However, its significant limitations have led to growing criticism. Developed over 20 years ago, the Body Volume Index (BVI) offers a modern, more accurate alternative by measuring body composition and providing a clearer picture of health risks.
Why BMI Falls Short
BMI calculates health by only dividing weight by height squared, but it overlooks essential health indicators like:
Fat Distribution: BMI doesn’t show where fat is stored, even though abdominal (visceral) fat is far riskier than fat in other areas (National Academies of Sciences, 2023).
Muscle vs Fat: A muscular person and someone with high body fat can have the same BMI (Groves et al., 2019).
Individual Differences: BMI ignores age, sex, and ethnicity, factors that affect body composition and health risks (Heymsfield et al., 2015).
Body Shape: People who are athletic, apple or pear-shaped are not picked up by using BMI (Davidson, 2022).
What Is BVI?
BVI uses 3D body scanning technology to measure body fat distribution and overall body volume. Developed by body measurement specialists Select Research, it analyses where fat is stored and how much of it is present, giving a detailed picture of an individual’s health risks.
How BVI Works
3D Body Scanning: The body is scanned using advanced imaging technology, creating a 3D model, just from a phone or tablet.
Body Volume Analysis: Different body areas (e.g., abdomen, thighs) are measured to calculate fat storage, including:
Visceral Fat: Fat around internal organs, which is linked to higher health risks.
Subcutaneous Fat: Fat stored under the skin.
Health Risk Reports: Personalised health profiles identify risks for conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart disease.
Progress Tracking: Users can track their body composition changes over time for better health management.
Why is BVI Better Than BMI
Focus on Fat Distribution: BVI measures where weight is, while BMI can’t.
Muscle vs Fat Differentiation: BVI distinguishes between fat and lean muscle mass, avoiding BMI’s common misclassifications.
Personalised Insights: Age, sex, and ethnicity are factored in for a tailored health assessment.
Progress Monitoring: BVI tracks body changes over time, offering actionable insights.
Wider Applications: From healthcare and fitness to insurance and research, BVI is already transforming how health risks and a patient’s health journey are assessed.
The Future of Health Metrics
BVI’s data-driven approach redefines how we evaluate health, shifting the focus from weight to body composition. By identifying health risks earlier, improving fitness planning, and enabling personalised care, BVI helps individuals and professionals make more informed decisions. This is why BVI is better than BMI.
Ready to learn more?
To discover how BVI can help you understand your health better, please visit our website. Let’s move beyond BMI to a smarter, more personalised health metric!
Reference List
Davidson, K. (2022). Apple, pear, or something else? Does your body shape matter for health? Healthline. Retrieved from https://www.healthline.com/health/apple-body-shape
Groves, V., Cornelissen, P., McCarty, K., Mohamed, S., Maalin, N., Tovée, M. J., & Cornelissen, K. (2019). How Does Variation in the Body Composition of Both Stimuli and Participant Modulate Self-Estimates of Men's Body Size?. Frontiers in psychiatry, 10, 720. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2019.00720
Heymsfield, S. B., Peterson, C. M., Thomas, D. M., Heo, M., & Schuna, J. M., Jr (2016). Why are there race/ethnic differences in adult body mass index-adiposity relationships? A quantitative critical review. Obesity reviews : an official journal of the International Association for the Study of Obesity, 17(3), 262–275. https://doi.org/10.1111/obr.12358
National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine; Health and Medicine Division; Food and Nutrition Board; Roundtable on Obesity Solutions; Callahan EA, editor. Translating Knowledge of Foundational Drivers of Obesity into Practice: Proceedings of a Workshop Series. Washington (DC): National Academies Press (US); 2023 Jul 31. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK594360/ doi: 10.17226/26942
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