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Body mass index
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===Physical characteristics=== The BMI overestimates roughly 10% for a large (or tall) frame and underestimates roughly 10% for a smaller frame (short stature). In other words, people with small frames would be carrying more fat than optimal, but their BMI indicates that they are ''normal''. Conversely, large framed (or tall) individuals may be quite healthy, with a fairly low [[body fat percentage]], but be classified as ''overweight'' by BMI.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/265215.php|title=Why BMI is inaccurate and misleading|work=Medical News Today|date=25 August 2013|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150723131349/http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/265215.php|archive-date=2015-07-23}}</ref> For example, a height/weight chart may say the ideal weight (BMI 21.5) for a {{convert|5|ft|10|in|m|order=flip|adj=mid|-tall}} man is {{convert|150|lb|kg|order=flip}}. But if that man has a slender build (small frame), he may be overweight at {{cvt|150|lb|kg|disp=or|order=flip}} and should reduce by 10% to roughly {{cvt|135|lb|kg|disp=or|order=flip}} (BMI 19.4). In the reverse, the man with a larger frame and more solid build should increase by 10%, to roughly {{cvt|165|lb|kg|disp=or|order=flip}} (BMI 23.7). If one teeters on the edge of small/medium or medium/large, common sense should be used in calculating one's ideal weight. However, falling into one's ideal weight range for height and build is still not as accurate in determining health risk factors as [[waist-to-height ratio]] and actual body fat percentage.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/255712.php|title=BMI: is the body mass index formula flawed?|work=Medical News Today|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150723095030/http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/255712.php|archive-date=2015-07-23}}</ref> Accurate frame size calculators use several measurements (wrist circumference, elbow width, neck circumference, and others) to determine what category an individual falls into for a given height.<ref>{{cite web | vauthors = Lewis T| date = 22 August 2013 |url=http://www.livescience.com/39097-bmi-not-accurate-health-measure.html|title=BMI Not a Good Measure of Healthy Body Weight, Researchers Argue |work=LiveScience.com |url-status=live |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20150721123646/http://www.livescience.com/39097-bmi-not-accurate-health-measure.html |archive-date=2015-07-21 }}</ref> The BMI also fails to take into account loss of height through ageing. In this situation, BMI will increase without any corresponding increase in weight.
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