Body Roundness Index | BRI vs BMI

• Context (TH): BMI (Body Mass Index) might not be the best way to measure health risks anymore.
• Instead, the Body Roundness Index (BRI) is proving to be better at predicting health conditions. This change has led healthcare professionals to consider BRI as a possible replacement for BMI.

About BRI

• It was developed by U.S. mathematician Diana Thomas in 2013.
• It measures body roundness to assess health risks more accurately than the Body Mass Index (BMI).
• It incorporates waist circumference and height to estimate body fat percentage.
• Scores range from 1 to 15. Scores above 6.9 or below 3.41 indicate higher health risks.
• BRI provides a visual, egg-shaped outline with a green zone indicating the healthy range.

Source: WileyOnlineLibrary

Why BRI is Gaining Importance?

• Ethnic Variability: BMI was based on 19th-century European populations and is inadequate for certain ethnic groups. BRI accommodates differences in fat distribution across populations, especially Asians, who tend to accumulate more abdominal fat at lower BMIs.
• Accuracy of Fat Distribution: BRI aligns with body fat percentage and visceral fat levels, providing a more accurate picture of health risks than BMI.
• Limitations of BMI: BMI only measures weight relative to height and does not differentiate between muscle, fat, or water. It also does not show where fat is distributed in the body.
• Visceral Fat Indication: BRI includes waist circumference, offering a better indication of visceral fat (fat around internal organs) associated with cardiovascular diseases and metabolic syndromes.

Health Risks Associated with BRI Scores

• Higher BRI Scores: Elevated scores suggest higher body fat, especially visceral fat, associated with diseases like Type 2 diabetes, Cardiovascular diseases, Metabolic syndromes (MetS).
• Low BRI Scores: Extremely low scores also carry risks, including malnutrition and related health issues.

Difference Between BRI and BMI