Body mass index [Body-Mass-Index]

The body mass index (BMI) is one of the most frequently used indices in medicine. From the beginning of the nineteenth century, detailed attention is given to the risk of overweight. Over the years the ratio of weight in kilograms divided by the square of the height in meters became one of the leading weight/height indices. It was first described by A. Quételet in 1835 and termed the “body mass index” by A. Keys in 1972. The BMI can be used to assess the nutritional status of an individual in order to evaluate relevant risk factors. It can also be used to determine the average weight of nations or continents. Although both over- and underweight can be measured by the BMI, the problem of overweight has led to more publications than underweight. Even the World Health Organization clearly focuses on obesity as a global epidemic and a worldwide public health crisis. In 1997, the collection of data was initiated to counter this development. In the meantime, with the help of the BMI, many studies have been published on the nutritional status in different countries. © 2014, Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg.