The BMI measurement can overestimate obesity in which individual?

Question

BlackTom AI · Accepted Answer

BMI equals weight in kilograms divided by height in meters squared, so it uses total body mass without distinguishing fat from lean tissue. Relevant concepts: BMI formula (kg/m^2), standard BMI categories (underweight <18.5, normal 18.5–24.9, overweight 25–29.9, obese ≥30), and the limitation that BMI does not measure body composition (fat vs. muscle).

Step-by-step reasoning and calculations:
1) Formula: BMI = weight (kg) / [height (m)]^2.
2) Example of a very muscular individual: height = 1.80 m, weight = 100 kg.
   - Compute height squared: 1.80^2 = 3.24.
   - Compute BMI: 100 ÷ 3.24 = 30.86.
   - Interpretation: BMI ≥ 30 falls in the obese category.
3) Compare to a non-muscular person of same height with lower weight: height = 1.80 m, weight = 80 kg.
   - 80 ÷ 3.24 = 24.69, which is in the normal range.
4) Although both individuals may have low body fat, the muscular person’s higher mass from muscle increases BMI above the obesity threshold. Therefore BMI can overestimate obesity in people with large muscle mass.

Why the correct answer is correct:
- Muscle is denser than fat and contributes to higher body weight without indicating excess adiposity. BMI relies on weight alone, so high muscle mass elevates BMI and can misclassify a muscular person as overweight or obese even when body fat percentage is low.

Why other options are incorrect:
- "All adults": too broad and false—BMI is reasonably useful for population screening but has known exceptions.
- "College age individuals": age alone does not cause systematic overestimation; many college-age people are average in body composition.
- "Those with high amounts of body fat": BMI tends to detect high weight from fat but can also underestimate obesity in people with low muscle (sarcopenic obesity); it does not systematically overestimate obesity for high-fat individuals.

Conclusion: BMI can overestimate obesity in those with high amounts of muscle, which matches the provided correct answer.

The BMI measurement can overestimate obesity in which individual?单项选择题

类似问题

In the past, people relied on height-weight tables that were based on insurance company mortality statistics, but these were inaccurate because

What is the primary reason why weight is not the most accurate metric to assess fitness, according to the New York Times article “How Fit Are You?”?

If one was to lose weight from dieting over a long period of time, approximately what percentage of the lost weight would be fat and lean mass?

BMI is only an indirect indicator of body fatness and therefore will not accurately classify all individuals, specifically because it fails to distinguish between

According to experts, a percentage of body fat below the range of ________ is unhealthy.

The human body is made up of fat-free mass and

In the past, people relied on height-weight tables that were based on insurance company mortality statistics, but these were inaccurate because

Percent body fat classifications are significantly different for the two sexes. For example, a female could have a percent body fat that is “recommended” (or healthy) while the same percent body fat could be categorized as “obese” for a male of the same age.

更多留学生实用工具

智能学习助手

风格化写作助手

论文查重助手

文献引用助手

课堂转译助手

课堂笔记助手

Quiz搜索助手

学校历年真题

智能刷题助手

智能匹配练习

希望你的学习变得更简单