Quetelet index

Quetelet index (Body Mass Index, BMI) was developed by Belgian sociologist and statistician Adolphe Quetelet in the 19th century. BMI allows you to quickly and easily assess the ratio of a person's weight to their height. This height-weight ratio is relevant for both men and women aged 20 to 65, but it does not take into account muscle mass. In the normal range, BMI should be 18-25 units.

Quetelet index is one of the most common ways to assess body mass index (BMI). It was proposed by Belgian scientist Adolphe Quetelet in 1832.

Calculation of Quetelet index

Quetelet index is calculated using the following formula:

BMI = weight / height², where

weight is in kilograms
height is in centimeters

Normal BMI range

Quetelet index can be used to assess the relationship between a person's weight and height. Depending on the value of BMI, it can be determined whether a person is within the normal range or has overweight or obesity.

Normal Quetelet index values:

18.5-24.9 - normal
25.0-29.9 - overweight
≥ 30 - obesity

Explanations

A BMI of ≥ 18.5 indicates that a person has a normal weight.

A BMI of ≥ 25.0 indicates that a person has overweight. Overweight can lead to the development of such diseases as cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, stroke, some types of cancer.

A BMI of ≥ 30 indicates that a person has obesity. Obesity is a serious condition that can lead to serious complications, such as cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, stroke, some types of cancer, osteoarthritis, sleep apnea.

Limitations of Quetelet index

BMI has a number of limitations. It does not take into account factors such as body fat distribution, muscle mass, age, sex, and ethnicity.

Body fat distribution. BMI does not allow you to determine where fat is deposited in the body. Fat deposited in the abdominal area is more dangerous to health than fat deposited in the hip area.

Muscle mass. People with developed muscles can have a high BMI, but they do not have overweight or obesity.

Age. With age, BMI naturally increases. This is due to the fact that with age, muscle mass decreases and fat mass increases.

Sex. In the normal range, BMI is slightly higher for women than for men. This is due to the fact that women have slightly more body fat than men in the normal range.

Ethnicity. BMI may vary among different ethnic groups.

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