We combine BMI with BRI – scores say we’re obese, but we’re just round
While curvy or voluptuous are seen as compliments, no woman EVER wants to be described as “curvy.”
But scientists now suggest that measuring ’roundness’ may be the best way to assess our health.
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A system called Body Roundness Index is being hailed as a better way to estimate the risk of weight-related diseases than the controversial Body Mass Index, and doctors in the US and China are beginning to adopt it.
Obesity rates in Britain are rising and many of us are becoming rounder than ever.
While BMI uses only height, weight and ethnicity to create a score that falls within categories from severely lean to very severely obese, BRI also takes into account hip and waist circumference, plus gender and age.
The result is shown as a rounded black line, plotted over a green egg-shaped ‘healthy zone’, to show where you fall.
It also calculates your estimated percentage of body fat and visceral adipose tissue (belly fat) with a range of one to twenty.
Last month, the American Medical Association declared that BRI was as easy to use as BMI, but more accurate at assessing body composition and health risks.
We asked two women to brave the tape measure and share their vital statistics to see how the two evaluations compare. . .
‘I knew I was a bit overweight, but I was really surprised’
As a chubby, middle-aged mom, Paulomi Debnath admits she probably needs to lose some weight around her midsection.
But she was shocked when she was categorized as obese using the NHS BMI calculator, with a score of 29.8 based on being 6ft tall and weighing 12lbs.
Her Indian ethnicity also played a role, as BMI cutoffs are lower if you come from a South Asian background.
“I knew I was a bit overweight but I was really surprised,” says Paulomi, 44, from Romford, Essex.
“Normally I don’t care what the scale says and am confident in how I look, so this feels like a cruel and impersonal way to judge people.
“It’s fat-shaming and doesn’t seem to acknowledge your age or lifestyle.”
Paulomi, size 14/16, likes to cook from scratch and avoids fried food, but does enjoy a meal out once a week with her husband Avik, 44, and their 13-year-old son Ayush.
She says: ‘I’ve certainly put on a few kilos since turning 40, and it’s much harder to lose them now, with all the hormone changes.
“Family and friends have commented on my weight, but as I’ve gotten older I’ve become more at peace with my body. I don’t care like I used to.
“I could definitely exercise more – my main activity is running – but I have wide hips like most Indian women and I wear a size 34GG bra.
“That’s just how I’m built and that’s not going to change no matter how many times I go to the gym.”
After learning that she had a waist circumference of 92cm and a hip circumference of 116cm, Paulomi’s figures were entered into the BRI calculator and the result was a pleasant surprise.
She was rated 4.5, which is just within the healthy zone, with 34 percent body fat and 2.3 percent belly fat.
“That feels more realistic to me,” says Paulomi, who has her own jewelry line Handmade by Tinni.
“I’m glad I can call myself fat; I’m fine with that.
“I’m also happy to acknowledge that I need to get a little fitter and healthier.
“This review is not shameful, but is more complete and will not panic anyone into crash dieting, which I hate. Besides, my husband likes me so much, and so does my son.
“He enjoys the fact that his mother is cuddly and I don’t want him to grow up thinking that all women have to be the same skinny shape.”
‘This system feels fairer’
JOURNALIST Rosie Mullender says she has been ‘obsessive’ about her BMI figure since she put on weight a few years ago.
With a height of 1.80 meters and a weight of 11.5 kg, she is given a score of 27.3, which is classified as overweight.
“My lifestyle has changed since my thirties,” says Rosie, 46, from Worthing, West Sussex.
“I’ve moved from London and work from home, so I eat what’s in the fridge instead of taking a healthy salad into the office.
“I also walk around in comfortable clothes instead of neat work outfits. I was shocked when I put my jeans back on for the first time in two weeks.
“I was a size 8 before I met my boyfriend Don, 47, but because I’m in a happy, content relationship I’ve been eating more pizza and am now a size 16.
“I joke that I have reverse body dysmorphia. After I get dressed to go out, I look in the mirror and think I look like a slim size 12. Then later I see the pictures and realize I’m much bigger than I used to be.
“I never used to avoid having my picture taken, but I’m starting to shy away from the camera. I keep a heavy eye on my BMI and I always aim to get under 10kg, which would magically put me in the “normal” range.
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“I’ve lost 5 pounds this year after starting Zumba, walking more and reducing my portion sizes, but it’s slow because I’m having a hard time avoiding the foods I like.”
Rosie found her BRI calculation much more reassuring, falling into the healthy green zone of 4.5, taking into account her 91cm waist and 104cm hips.
It was also estimated that she had 33.2 percent body fat and 2.6 percent belly fat.
“I’m surprised I don’t have a nipped in waist. I have a classic apple shape with 38E breasts,” she says.
“I thought that would count against me under BRI.
“This system feels fairer, instead of saying you are normal size at 24.9 and overweight at 25.
“I know I’m not completely unhealthy because I had a number of tests at the doctor this year and things like my blood pressure all came back fine. It’s nice to know that I’m not doing everything wrong and don’t feel the pressure to lose a full stone.”
- Additional reporting: Kirsten Jones
‘BMI is easy, but can consider muscular people obese’
DOCTORS are already moving away from BMI to assess patients’ health risks, says Dr Hussain Al-Zubaidi, lifestyle lead for the Royal College of General Physicians.
“We’ve always known there are limitations to it, but for the majority of people BMI is an easy way to know where they sit,” he says.
“What it doesn’t tell us is the composition of their weight. Very muscular people can be considered obese, and low-weight elderly people can be considered healthy, even though they have age-related muscle wasting that has turned to fat.”
Last year, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence advised doctors to also use the height-to-waist ratio, advising patients to keep it below 0.5. “This is essentially what BRI is trying to integrate,” says Dr Hussain.
“Central adipose tissue – or abdominal fat – measured by waist circumference is a crucial indicator.
“Ethnicity is important because people from South Asia and the Middle East are more susceptible to this type of fat and its negative effects.
“Although BRI calculates body fat, it still cannot tell how it is distributed and how much enters organs such as the liver.
“These statistics are all guidelines and what really matters is making sure you reduce your risks with exercise, including strength training and a balanced diet high in protein and limited in ultra-processed foods and refined sugar.”
