What do David Morgan, Brad Pitt and Daniel Craig have in common? Perfectly honed, toned bodies – that’s what. Except if you rely on the most widely used measurement of fatness, the body mass index (BMI), which classifies this collection of supremely fit-looking individuals as either overweight or obese. Devised by Belgian statistician Adolphe Qutelet, the BMI has been used to define weight for more than 100 years. Part of its appeal is its simplicity of calculation: weight in kilograms divided by height in metres squared – someone with a BMI of less than 18.5 is considered underweight, between 18.5 and 24.9 is ‘normal’, 25 to 29 is ‘overweight’ and 30 or greater is clinically diagnosed as obese. The measurement however, does not take into account body composition – whether or not excess weight is fat or muscle. Measurement of your waist is probably more accurate and easier to understand. Having a waist measurement of more than 88cm (35 inches) in women, and 102cm (40 inches) in men, indicates the highest risk of cardiovascular and metabolic disease. For better gauges on fitness levels and advice on keeping in shape – for life – keep an eye out for ‘beyourbest’ a book by David Morgan, to be published by Virgin in February 2007. www.beyourbest-davidmorgan.com
