Читать книгу Nutrition For Dummies - Carol Ann Rinzler - Страница 60

Weight charts, tables, numbers, and stats are so plentiful that you may think they’re totally reliable in predicting who’s healthy and who’s not. They aren’t. Real people and their real differences keep sneaking into the equation.

For example, BMI is not a reliable guide for

 Women who are pregnant or nursing

 People who are very tall or very short

 Professional athletes or weight trainers with very well-developed muscle tissue. Remember: Muscle weighs more than fat, so a person with lots of muscle tissue may have a higher BMI and still be really healthy.

In addition, the value of the BMI in predicting your risk of illness appears to be tied to your age. If you’re in your 30s, a lower BMI is clearly linked to better health. If you’re in your 70s or older, no convincing evidence points to your weight playing a significant role in determining how healthy you are or how much longer you’ll live. In between, from age 30 to age 74, the relationship between your BMI and your health is, well, in between — more important early on, less important later in life.