Can body mass index data be used as a reference index for health assessment?

Body mass index (BMI) is an index calculated according to height and weight, which is used to evaluate whether a person's physical condition is healthy. Although the body mass index can be used as one of the reference indicators of physical condition, it may be unreasonable to measure whether the physical condition meets the funding conditions only based on the body mass index data.

First of all, the body mass index can't tell the contribution of muscle and fat to weight, because muscle is denser than fat, so people with more muscles will have higher body mass index at the same weight, but their physical condition may be healthier.

Secondly, the body mass index can't tell the distribution of fat in different parts of the body, and the distribution of fat in different parts is related to health status. For example, too much belly fat may increase the risk of cardiovascular disease and diabetes, while too much hip fat may reduce the health risk.

Therefore, it may be incomplete and inaccurate to measure whether the material conditions meet the funding conditions only based on the data of body mass index. It is necessary to combine other indicators, such as body fat rate, waist circumference, blood pressure, blood sugar and other physiological indicators, as well as living habits, eating habits, exercise habits and other factors, in order to more accurately assess a person's physical condition and health risks.