Body mass index (BMI) is a wide"&φ•ly used value to determi✘σ'↔ne whether a person's height is underweigh≈$±t, and the use of a fat scale ©↕can be quickly measured as no★φrmal, overweight or obese. B✔®y dividing the weight of a kilo'® gram by the height of a squσ∞®γare meter, BMI is often cri"✔ticized because it does not t'•₩ake into account gender differencesλ₩σ✔, nor does it disting¶•≥©uish between bone mass, musc≤×♦le mass and excess fat. Researchers  ∞≠✘at the World Medical CenteΩ≥ r have now come up with a ÷ ★formula they claim can more accura∏∏↕tely describe a person's © body fat.

Unlike BMI, which requires a se↓♠≠t of weight  scales and fat sca$σ₩les to calculate, the redeveloped scheme require>✘∞✘s only a tape measure. Called the Relative Fat Mσ↓∑ass Index, it involves calculating the ra•σtio of height to waistΩ‌​£ circumference measuσ≈↓rements (in meters), multiplied by 20 before >αε‍subtracting the number to consider gend♠→≥αer differences. Like€♦₹× this:

Fat mass index formula:

Male: 64 - (20 x height / w®₩←aist circumference, in meter) = fat m∞>ass index

Female: 76 - (20 x height / wai₹★st circumference, in‌® meter) = fat mass index

Fat is usually stored around≠  the waist when measured b φ≈y fat scale. Many medical professionals believe↑&β that waist circumference is an important ind₹π↑icator of the risk of w​©eight-related health problems. The team' $;s findings seem to support tε‍his belief in their new fat mass index f∑σormula.

Fat scales test more than 300 kinds of BMI★Ω conclusions

Using a database of 12,000 adults who part→↔$icipated in the Centers for Dis≥≈↓ease Control and Prevention&↔< Health and Nutrition Survey, researchers tested  ♥ ★more than 300 potential formulas for esti↓↕¥±mating body fat. After calculating the fat mass↑¶ index of 3,500 patients, they compared these β×γ÷with DXA or DEXA scans.Ωσε↑ DXA scans, used to mea<‍sure bone mineral density, are thought to be a←"♦♠ccurate methods for measuring body tis>π♣sues, bones, muscles and fat weights.It is found ♠←‍Ωthat the fat mass index achieved b✔‍ y the above formula is the c∑∞®losest to the DXA body scan.

The fat mass formula ha∏↑s now been validated in large databases∞®, said Dr. Johnson, senior author of th¶♠¶e study and director of the♠≈§ Sports Spectacular Diabetes and Obesity  ≈ε↑Health and Research Center. "This ♦↔is a new measure of physical obesit≈±y, and health practitioners can easily be tr€♥eated, and these patients €✘often face serious health conse→‍€quences, such as diabetes, high <π¥&blood pressure and heart disease  ↑‌.

The BMI has proven to be "better at measurin©✔→g obesity than many of the indices cγ®urrently used in medicine and science,but it need×γ•σs to be tested in longitudinal studies with aγ✔≠ large population, the MD sai×♣d. After so many fat scale tests, it is possi''ble to determine whether the percentag♦α↔e range of body fat associaφπ≤ted with serious obesity-related health probl ←ems is normal or abnormal.&nb®£←φsp;