Body Mass Index (BMI) and body fat percentage are two ways to measure obesity. Both high BMI and increased body fat are linked to several health risks such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and cancer. However, which of the two has greater health risks?.

What is BMI?

BMI is a measure that uses your height and weight to determine if you have a healthy body weight. The formula to calculate BMI is weight (kg) / height (m)².

A BMI between 18.5 and 24.9 is considered healthy, while a BMI of 25 or higher is overweight, and a BMI of 30 or higher is obese.

What is body fat percentage?

Body fat percentage measures the amount of fat in your body as a percentage of your total body weight. For men, a healthy body fat percentage is between 6% and 24%, while for women, it’s between 16% and 30%.

Anything above these ranges is considered overweight or obese.

Health risks associated with high BMI

Studies have found a link between high BMI and several health risks such as:.

Heart disease
Stroke
Type 2 diabetes
High blood pressure
Metabolic syndrome
Cancer (breast, colon, and prostate)
Sleep apnea
Osteoarthritis

Health risks associated with increased body fat

While high BMI is a marker of obesity, body fat percentage measures the actual amount of fat in your body. Studies have found a link between increased body fat and several health risks such as:.

Heart disease
Stroke
Type 2 diabetes
High blood pressure
Metabolic syndrome
Cancer (breast, colon, and prostate)
Sleep apnea
Osteoarthritis
Chronic kidney disease
Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease

Which has greater health risks: High BMI or increased body fat?

As we can see from the above lists, both high BMI and increased body fat are linked to several health risks. However, some studies suggest that increased body fat percentage may have greater health risks than high BMI.

A 2012 study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that among women with a BMI of 30 or higher, those with higher body fat percentage had a greater risk of heart disease than those with a lower body fat percentage.

A 2014 study published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology also found that body fat percentage was a better predictor of heart disease risk than BMI in men.

However, a 2016 study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine found that BMI was a better predictor of mortality risk than body fat percentage in both men and women.

Conclusion

Both high BMI and increased body fat are linked to several health risks such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and cancer.

While some studies suggest that increased body fat percentage may have greater health risks than high BMI, other studies suggest that BMI is a better predictor of mortality risk. Therefore, it’s important to maintain a healthy BMI and body fat percentage to reduce your risk of chronic diseases.