Beyond BMI: Why Your Health Is More Than a Number

BMI is broken—and I learned that first-hand. In this episode, I share the Air Force story that changed my view on Body Mass Index (BMI) and explain why a metric from the 1830s (Adolphe Quetelet) still mislabels millions today. BMI can’t tell muscle vs fat, ignores waist distribution, and misses crucial markers like inflammation and cardiometabolic fitness.What you’ll learn:Why BMI was created for population averages, not individualsHow BMI misclassifies athletes and muscular peopleBetter metrics: waist-to-height ratio, body-fat %, A1C, ApoB, blood pressure, resting heart rate, VO₂ max, and CRPA simple at-home waist-to-height check you can do in 30 secondsA practical checklist to track real health (not just a number)If this helped, hit subscribe and share it with a friend who’s frustrated by BMI. 👇 In the chapters, jump straight to the metric you want to use.00:00:00 - Introduction: Beyond BMI00:00:10 - Personal Experience with BMI in the Military00:00:31 - The Flaws of BMI: A Realization00:00:53 - Historical Context of BMI00:01:25 - Limitations of BMI as a Health Metric00:01:46 - Misleading BMI Results for Athletes00:01:56 - Normal BMI and Metabolic Dysfunction00:02:07 - Cultural Extremes: Weight Obsession vs. Body Acceptance00:02:29 - Rising Rates of Metabolic Disease00:03:01 - Key Health Factors Ignored by BMI00:03:54 - Better Health Metrics: Waist to Height Ratio00:04:05 - Better Health Metrics: Body Composition00:04:47 - Better Health Metrics: Blood Pressure00:04:57 - Better Health Metrics: Blood Glucose and Insulin00:05:30 - Better Health Metrics: Strength and Mobility00:05:51 - Self-Compassion and Lasting Change00:06:11 - Practical Tips for Health and Wellness00:06:55 - Final Thoughts: Beyond the BMI Chart00:07:38 - Metabolic Health Self-Audit Worksheet00:08:09 - Multivitamins and Essential Nutrients for WomenHere is the link to the Substack article: https://drlauriemarbas.substack.com/p/beyond-bmi-why-your-health-is-moreA Big Thank You To Our Sponsors: If you want the best supplement to help you on your plant-based journey, you have to try Complement: https://lovecomplement.com/?aff=62If you are over the age of 50 and want to improve your body composition, build lean muscle (combat sarcopenia), build stronger bones (to combat osteoporosis), and you want to feel your best, I highly recommend exploring the life-changing coaching offered at https://www.fitvegancoaching.com/ Their personalized, whole-food, plant-based approach helped me lose 7% body fat, gain lean muscle, and even improve my running time—all while feeling energized and healthy. Get full access to The Habit Healers at drlauriemarbas.substack.com/subscribe