BMI: A Tool for Health Assessment

What is the mathematical formula that correlates with body fat and the ratio of weight to height squared?

A. Body Mass Index (BMI)

Answer:

The mathematical formula that correlates with body fat and the ratio of weight to height squared is called the Body Mass Index (BMI).

The Body Mass Index (BMI) is a measure widely used to estimate the fat content of the body by dividing a person's weight in kilograms by the square of their height in meters. It provides an indication of whether an individual is underweight, normal weight, overweight, or obese. For example, if a person weighs 70 kilograms and has a height of 1.75 meters, their BMI would be calculated as follows: 70 / (1.75^2) = 22.86, falling within the normal weight range.

While BMI is a valuable tool for assessing health at a population level, it has limitations when applied to individuals. It does not consider factors such as muscle mass, bone density, and fat distribution, leading to potential misclassifications. Therefore, individuals with high muscle mass might have a higher BMI despite having a low body fat percentage.