别让BMI定义你
全文字数：1950字 / 阅读时间：6分钟
01
“BMI”究竟为何方神圣
BMI stands for Body Mass Index. It is a measurement of your body size. It is calculated by factoring in an individual's height and weight. The results indicate whether that individual has a healthy body weight for their height.
BMI全称“身体质量指数”。它是一种评估身材的方式，由个人的身高体重（BMI＝体重(公斤)／身高(米)的平方）计算得出。BMI结果能够辅助测评个人是否拥有与其身高相适应的健康体重。
If you have a BMI of less than 18.5 or over 25, it is recommended that you seek guidance from your doctor or a dietitian. You will need to learn healthier eating and exercise habits that suit your lifestyle and current abilities.
如果BMI指数低于18.5或高于25，就意味着需要寻求医生或营养师的帮助和指导，养成更健康的饮食和锻炼习惯，以适应你的生活方式和目前的能力。
However, BMI is only one way to gauge your weight and should not be viewed as the final word on your weight -- and it should NEVER be seen as a judgment of your worth.
然而，BMI只是众多衡量体重方式中的一种，并不该被视作体重是否健康的唯一标准，也不应该被视作“个人价值的衡量标准”。
02
BMI，到底重不重要？
Yes -- and then again, sometimes no.
Just like the scale is not always an accurate measure of body fat percentage, either is BMI.
重要，但有时也不重要。
就像体重秤并不总能准确测量身体脂肪百分比一样，BMI也是如此。
评估体重的时候，你一定听过另外一个名词——体脂率，它和BMI是从不同角度评判一个人胖瘦的两种方式。区别于BMI关注体重和身高，体脂率是指人体当中脂肪占总体重的比例。在计算方面，它没有BMI方便。
尽管BMI是衡量肥胖最常用的指标，多数情况下也简单易行，但其局限性同样突出，如果仅依靠它来判断肥胖与否，并不可靠。
03
BMI的不足之处：
BMI does not account for muscle, for instance, so you could be 165 pounds and 5'5 and be a completely healthy body weight if you have a lot of muscles -- even though BMI would classify you as overweight.
首先，BMI没有考虑肌肉含量。打个比方，身高165cm，体重150斤的人，如果有很多肌肉，那么即便BMI将其归类为超重，此人的体重也完全健康。
People who are really muscular, like pro athletes, may have a BMI score in the"overweight" range when they actually have very little body fat. BMI might give a misleading impression to people who are normal weight but have a high percentage of body fat and therefore a higher risk of heart disease,diabetes, and hypertension.
真正的肌肉发达的人士，比如运动员，按照BMI得分可能会被划到“偏胖”的范围，但其实他们体脂率很低。对于体重正常，但体脂高的人来说，BMI可能会让他们误认自己很健康，但其实这种人患心脏病、糖尿病及高血压的风险更高。
BMI also doesn’t take into account a person’s activity levels. One person could be overweight and sedentary, while another person’s BMI might technically put them in the mildly obese category even though they are very active and have a lower percentage of body fat.
BMI也没有考虑到一个人的活动水平。有的人超重并且久坐不动，但也有人经常运动而体脂率低。如果二者BMI一样，在概念上会把这两类人都归入轻度肥胖类别。
What’s more, different ethnic groups are at higher risk with lower BMIs. For instance, Asian Americans are considered in the normal range from 18.5 to 23.9, whereas Caucasians and Native Americans go up to 24.9. African Americans, meanwhile, often have a higher BMI but a lower health risk because they tend to have a higher muscle mass.
此外，不同的种族群体在不同的BMI区间内，健康风险也不同。例如，亚裔美国人的正常BMI在18.5-23.9之间，而白种人和美国本土人的上限则高达24.9。同时，非裔美国人往往有较高的BMI，但健康风险较低，因为他们的肌肉质量较高。
04
多种方法，相辅相成：
The shortcomings of BMI as a comprehensive measure of body fat in relation to weight is why most healthcare professionals don't rely on BMI alone.
如此看来，BMI作为身体脂肪的综合测量方法存在缺陷。这也是大多数医疗保健专业人士不完全依赖BMI的原因。
There are many other ways to assess weight and measure body fat that can be used, often in tandem with BMI, to determine if an individual is at a healthy body weight.
评估体重、测量体脂还有许多其他方式，通常和BMI一起使用来确定个人体重是否处于健康水平。
重难点词汇
gauge
vt.（用仪器）测量；判断（尤指人的感情或态度)；
n. 厚度；测量仪器；计量器；宽度；（枪管的)口径；（铁道的）轨距;事实，依据，尺度
例句：
Design of Strain Gauge System based on Lab.
ethnic
adj. 民族的；种族的;具有民族特色的；异国风味的;
n. 少数民族的人;
例句：
All Singaporeans have to pass exams in the official language of their ethnic group as well as English.
原文链接：
https://www.theguardian.com/society/2022/nov/02/bmi-why-experts-are-calling-for-better-ways-of-assessing-health-than-a-body-mass-index?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other
编译｜唐潇 张静宇 夏依旦 高敏奕
排版｜唐潇 张静宇
