What does Body Mass Index (BMI) assess?

Body Mass Index (BMI) is a widely used screening tool that assesses body weight relative to height to categorize individuals into different weight categories, such as underweight, normal weight, overweight, and obesity. This categorization helps estimate an individual's body fat and can indicate potential health risks, particularly concerning conditions such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and certain types of cancer.

The association between BMI and cardiovascular risk stems from the understanding that higher BMI values often correlate with higher levels of body fat, which can lead to increased chances of hypertension, dyslipidemia, and further cardiovascular complications.

While BMI does not directly measure body fat or muscle mass, it serves as a useful general indicator. It does not measure an individual's weight in pounds specifically nor determine the average height of a population. Thus, by focusing on BMI's correlation with health risk, especially cardiovascular disease, it is evident why assessing cardiovascular risk is the primary purpose of calculating BMI.