The history of the body mass index (BMI) measurement

The concept of Body mass index (BMI) was developed by a Belgian mathematician named Lambert Adolphe Jacques Quetelet in the 1830s. Quetelet was not a doctor or health practitioner, but he was interested in the emerging field of statistics. He collected data on men’s heights and weights at various ages. Based on this data, he created the Quetelet formula, now known as the BMI.

There are significant limitations to Quetelet’s experiment. All the participants in his study were western European men, and the experiment had nothing to do with measuring individual health. His goal was not to devise a test to quickly diagnose obesity, but rather to find the ideal weight.

The term body mass index was coined by American physiologist and dietician Ancel Keys in a paper he published in 1972. Keys and his colleagues promoted Quetelet’s Index as the best available way to quickly screen for obesity. However, like Quetelet, the Keys study didn’t account for all body types.

The use of BMI saw a significant surge among those born right after World War I. This was followed by a decelerating phase during the Great Depression. By the 1970s, the average BMI had increased to 24.5, just on the threshold from the World Health Organization’s healthy to overweight classification.

Today, BMI is a widely used tool for estimating body fat based on an individual’s weight and height. However, it’s important to note that while BMI can be a useful tool, it should not be the sole indicator of a person’s health.