Body mass index (BMI) has long been a common tool for estimating a person’s relative weight status based on a simple height to weight ratio. It’s easy to calculate, widely accessible and often used to categorize individuals into weight categories that range from underweight to obesity.
For decades, BMI has also served as a means for assessing disease risk, particularly those related to excess weight, such as cardiovascular disease and Type 2 diabetes.
Now, BMI is also used to assess whether someone is a candidate for GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic or Wegovy for weight loss.
What Is BMI?
BMI was originally created in the 1800s by a Belgian astronomer who was helping design a population census. When the formula was originally created, it was not intended to be used to assess someone's individual health, but instead was intended to paint a picture of the average size of a large population.
