BIOLOGY TEST:Body Mass Index (BMI)

BMI stands for Body M*** Index.Body M*** Index is a measure that adults can use to see if they are a healthy weight for their height.Body M*** Index (BMI) is a quick and easy way to determine your stored body fat. BMI is a number calculated by using two measurements: weight and height. The number is used to identify your risk for health related diseases based on excess weight.

Because BMI only uses two measurements, it is a cheap and easy-to-use method for physicians and the general public. BMI is also a method used frequently to ***ess a whole population for obesity.

Although BMI is an indirect method of measuring body fat, it is popular among clinicians. The direct, alternative methods to measure body fatness and obesity are:

• Skin fold thickness measurements
• Underwater weighing
• Bio-electrical impedance
• Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA)
• Isotope dilution

These methods tend to be more expensive, less accessible or take more time than BMI measurements.

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