A groundbreaking study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) has suggested that a new body “roundness” index may be a more accurate measure of health than the traditional body mass index (BMI).
The study, titled “Body Roundness Index and All-Cause Mortality Among US Adults,” advocates for the use of the body roundness index (BRI) over BMI, which has been the standard for measuring obesity since the 1980s. Unlike BMI, which only takes into account weight and height, BRI also considers waist circumference in its calculations.
Researchers found that BRI was more effective in estimating the risk for various health conditions, including cardiometabolic disease, kidney disease, and cancer. The study concluded that BRI may be a promising tool for identifying high-risk individuals and estimating mortality risk.
The American Medical Association (AMA) has previously criticized the use of BMI, calling it “imperfect” and “problematic.” The AMA report claimed that BMI cutoffs are based on an idealized Caucasian body and do not take into account gender or ethnicity.
Despite these criticisms, some experts, like Fox News contributor Dr. Marc Siegel, argue that BMI is a valuable tool in assessing obesity. Siegel called the AMA’s criticisms “politics, not medicine,” and defended the use of BMI as a starting point in evaluating obesity.
Overall, the study’s findings suggest that BRI may offer a more comprehensive and accurate way of assessing an individual’s health. As the debate between BMI and BRI continues, further research will be needed to validate the effectiveness of this new measurement tool.
