What is a healthy BMI?
BMI or Body Mass Index is a tool used in the medical community as a reference for determining if a person is “underweight” “normal weight” “overweight” or “obese”.
It uses height and weight and does not factor sex, cultural identities or muscle mass vs fat mass – even some athletes are considered obese for this reason! It is genuinely inaccurate for so many people – so why is it still used as a measure for health?
It is so integrated in scientific research and health professionals as the only measure of health, yet since it is flawed, it is something some health professionals are choosing not to use in their practice. Instead, measures such as the way clothes fit, energy levels, how you sleep and any pain or discomfort you feel can be used as accurate markers of whether an intervention is working or not, simply by understanding if the patient is feeling better – which is the ultimate goal!
If you are on a health journey and have set goals for yourself, consider using some out of the box measures for health such as the ones above and ask yourself;
How are my clothes fitting this month?
On a scale of 1-10 how much energy to I have when I wake up?
If there is pain or discomfort, has that improved on a scale of 1-10?
Take note of how you feel before starting a new habit and take note 2-4 weeks later and see if there is a change, this way you are measuring how you are FEELING rather than using a tool like weight or BMI that may or may not change regardless of how much better or worse you feel.
To finish, a healthy BMI or weight should be one that you maintain without trying too hard to change it, without deprivation or harmful practices. A healthy BMI or weight is dependant on the individual, and perhaps shifting the focus from a weight loss goal or BMI range goal to healthy habits and behaviours, you can feel start confident that what you are doing is improving your health. My intention is never to shame anyone who has a weight loss goal, just to offer an alternative measurement of health.
Ellie x
If you would like know more about honouring your body and finding what works for you, book in a consultation with Ellie by clicking here to see what you can expect when working with a nutritionist.