BMI has been the benchmark in evaluating health and fitness for many years. The formula is quite simple: weight in kilograms divided by the square of height in meters. This would easily tell if one is underweight, within the healthy weight range, overweight, or obese. But with new research findings, scientists are now questioning its accuracy and usefulness as a total measure of body composition.

The report, published in The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology, has sparked a global conversation on rethinking BMI. Supported by more than 50 international medical experts, the report suggests classifying obesity into "clinical" and "pre-clinical" types for better diagnosis and treatment. The shift underscores a growing consensus: BMI alone may not tell the full story of your health.

While BMI is simple to calculate and universally accessible, it is far from perfect. It does not consider muscle mass, bone density, or fat distribution, leading to misleading conclusions in some cases. For example, athletes with a high muscle mass may be considered overweight, whereas individuals with normal BMI might carry unhealthy amounts of visceral fat.

A landmark study in JAMA Network Open studied more than 155,000 postmenopausal women and found that women with a normal BMI but a waist size over 35 inches were more likely to die from heart disease or cancer compared with their counterparts whose waists are smaller. That makes a great case for how BMI can be insufficient and fat distribution must be factored into account.

Not all body fat is equal. Subcutaneous fat, which lies just beneath the skin, is relatively harmless. The real health danger lies in visceral fat—fat that surrounds internal organs. Unlike subcutaneous fat, visceral fat is metabolically active, releasing stress hormones like cortisol and inflammatory substances that raise blood pressure, blood sugar, and cholesterol levels. These effects significantly increase the risk of conditions such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and certain cancers.

BMI Isn't Always the Best Measure of Body Composition — Here's What to Use Instead

Since BMI is not the most reliable measure, scientists and doctors have sought other means to measure body composition more accurately.

1. Waist Circumference

A simple tape measure can provide valuable insight into your health. Measure your waist at the level of your belly button, ensuring the tape is parallel to the ground. For women, a waist measurement under 35 inches is considered healthy, while for men, the goal is under 40 inches.

2. Waist-to-Hip Ratio

This is the ratio of your waist circumference to that of your hips. To calculate it, divide your waist measurement by your hip measurement. According to the National Center for Biotechnology Information, a ratio under 0.8 for women and 0.9 for men is considered healthy.

3. Body Roundness Index (BRI)

A newer method that seems to be receiving more attention involves the Body Roundness Index or BRI: height, weight, and girth are placed together to represent a more advanced view of what body composition says. Research presented in JAMA Network Open offers evidence that this BRI predicts mortality risk greater than BMI in some cases- a promising weapon for public health.

Also Read: Using BMI To Classify People As Obese Is Flawed Say Experts

Ways To Cut Off Unhealthy Fat

The good news is that visceral fat responds well to lifestyle changes. Here are three evidence-based strategies:

Time-Restricted Eating

Adopting an eating window of 12 hours—such as from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.—can significantly reduce visceral fat, according to a study published in Nutrition Research Reviews. This approach not only helps control caloric intake but also reduces late-night snacking, a known risk factor for abdominal obesity.

Limit Alcohol Intake

Excessive alcohol consumption is associated with increased belly fat. A 2017 study published in Public Health Nutrition revealed that alcohol increases the levels of insulin and encourages the storage of fat in the abdominal area. Limiting alcohol to occasional indulgence helps avoid weight gain in this region.

High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT)

HIIT involves repeated episodes of high-intensity exercise separated by periods of rest. A review in *Sports Medicine* concluded that HIIT is very effective in reducing visceral and total body fat. It can be noted that adding just 20 minutes of HIIT two times a week can make all the difference.

The reliance on BMI as a sole indicator of health is increasingly being challenged. While it remains a convenient screening tool, its limitations necessitate a broader approach that considers factors like fat distribution, waist circumference, and new metrics such as BRI.

In the simplest of words, health is multi-dimensional, and shifting perspectives from considering weight solely to broader measures of body composition will get people a much clearer understanding of where their health risks are so that they can take the action required for a better quality of life. Through adjustment to diet, exercise, or perhaps through innovative metrics like BRI, health is well within reach of the individual.

This dynamic conversation raises the point about personalized health screenings, which helps everyone get more relevant tools fitting their unique lives and circumstances. As body composition research is enhanced, so do the futures look brighter and brighter for the times of measurement when it comes to health.

Definition and diagnostic criteria of clinical obesity. The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology.

Association of Normal-Weight Central Obesity With All-Cause and Cause-Specific Mortality Among Postmenopausal Women. JAMA Netw Open. 2019

Waist-Hip Ratio. NIH.

Physiological responses to food intake throughout the day. Nutr Res Rev. 2014

Association between abdominal obesity and alcohol drinking pattern in normal-weight, middle-aged adults. Public Health Nutr. 2017

We spend a lot of time worrying about skin, hair, weight, and even gut health, but we often ignore our joints.

We depend on our joints for every step, squat, staircase climb, and grocery run. Knees alone absorb forces several times body weight during ordinary activities. Globally, an estimated 595 million people were living with osteoarthritis in 2020, roughly 1 in 13 people on the planet, and a 132% increase in total cases since 1990. Alarmingly, many of us are making lifestyle choices that place unnecessary stress on our joints long before we hit our forties or fifties.

While ageing is the main cause of joint pain, stiffness, and reduced mobility, these issues are increasingly showing up in younger adults, too.

Here are five common habits that could be quietly working against your joint health.

Mistake #1: Improper Footwear Choices

It is really important that your footwear has adequate cushioning or support. The impact of every step travels upward through your ankles, knees, hips, and lower back. Your footwear plays the role of a shock absorber. Gradually, repetitive stress placed on your feet contributes to discomfort, especially if you spend long hours standing, walking, commuting, or exercising.

It is important to choose footwear that suits your activity level. If you exercise regularly, make sure your shoes match the type of movement you are doing, and replace them once the support wears out.

Mistake #2: Going All-In on Cardio and Calisthenics Without Guidance

Social media has made fitness more accessible than ever. It's also convinced a lot of people that every workout needs to be intense. High-volume jumping drills, excessive running, deep-impact movements, and advanced calisthenics performed without proper progression can overload joints, tendons, and ligaments. Unlike muscle, the cartilage cushioning your joints has no blood supply and very limited ability to repair itself once damaged, which is why overuse injuries can have lasting consequences rather than simply healing with time.

Joint problems are often linked to poor exercise choices, but inadequate recovery can also impact them. Not giving enough rest, nutrition, or recovery time causes tissues to suffer due to the stress being placed on them, leading to aches, pains, and overuse injuries.

Focus on gradual progression, proper technique, adequate recovery, and a balanced routine that includes strength training, mobility work, and rest days.

Mistake #3: Constantly Cracking Your Knuckles and Joints

While knuckle cracking is not directly responsible for arthritis, habitual and forceful joint manipulation can irritate surrounding soft tissues and become a repetitive stress habit over time.

Medical attention may be required if cracking is accompanied by pain, swelling, locking, or instability.

Mistake #4: Ignoring the Nutrition Side of Joint Health

Many diets fall short on two nutrients that matter a lot for musculoskeletal health: calcium and vitamin D. Calcium builds and maintains bone strength. Vitamin D helps the body absorb and use it. Inadequate intake of either results in weaker bones, in turn causing poor joint health. Excess body weight adds another layer to this. Not just as an added mechanical load on the joints, but because fat tissue actively releases inflammatory compounds that can accelerate cartilage breakdown. This makes joint health a metabolic issue, not just a structural one.

Calcium sources include milk, yoghurt, paneer, cheese, ragi, sesame seeds, tofu, almonds, and green leafy vegetables. Vitamin D sources include safe sunlight exposure, egg yolks, fatty fish, and fortified dairy products.

Mistake #5: Sitting for Most of the Day

Long hours at a desk, extended scrolling sessions, and prolonged sitting can weaken the muscles that support the joints. This leads to stiffness, poor posture, and mobility issues. Inactivity can also set off a compounding cycle: as joints become less stable and more uncomfortable, people tend to move less to avoid pain, which leads to further muscle weakening, reduced joint support, and faster deterioration over time. Standing up regularly, taking walking breaks, stretching between meetings, and using the stairs keep joints mobile and well-supported.

The Bottom Line

Joint health is the result of small decisions made consistently over time: the shoes you wear, how you exercise, what you eat, and how much you move. Most joint problems don't appear overnight, and many of the habits that lead to them can be corrected before they become long-term issues.

(Dr. Deepak Gautam - Sr. Consultant Orthopedic & Robotic Joint Replacement Surgeon, Apollo Hospitals Navi Mumbai)

A new study has uncovered how physical activity can help aging muscles repair themselves, explaining why regular exercise remains one of the most powerful tools for healthy aging physiologically.

Exercise Can Help Reverse Muscle Aging: Study

Researchers from Duke-NUS Medical School, working with collaborators from Singapore General Hospital and Cardiff University, found that exercise retains and restores a natural cellular repair system that usually weakens with age.

Their findings, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), identify a gene called DEAF1 as a muscle aging element, suggesting it could become useful in therapies for preventing age-related muscle loss.

About The Study

Muscles are essential for regulating metabolism, blood sugar levels, and supporting overall health. However, muscle strength begins to decline as you age, increasing the risk of falls, fractures, and slower recovery from illness or injury.

A cellular growth pathway called mTORC1 plays an important role in maintaining healthy muscles by regulating protein production. But in aging muscles, this pathway becomes overworked.

According to the study, DEAF1 levels increase as muscles age, driving excessive mTORC1 activity and disrupting the balance between building new proteins and clearing away damaged ones. This accelerates muscle deterioration.

Under normal conditions, DEAF1 is kept under control by proteins known as FOXO. However, FOXO activity naturally declines with age, allowing DEAF1 levels to rise unchecked and reduce the muscle's ability to repair itself.

Read more: Bryan Johnson's Autoimmune Gastritis Sheds Light On Iron Deficiency In Americans

Exercise Restores Muscle Health

Exercise can reverse this imbalance significantly if the muscles are still optimal and responsive.

Assistant Professor Tang Hong-Wen, lead author of the study from Duke-NUS Medical School said, “Exercise can reverse this process, correcting the imbalance. Physical activity activates certain proteins which lower DEAF1 levels, bringing the growth pathway back into balance. This allows aging muscles to clear out damaged proteins, rebuild themselves properly, and help them stay stronger and more resilient.”

The researchers believe the results extend beyond normal aging. DEAF1 also affects muscle stem cells, which are responsible for repairing damaged tissue but naturally become less effective with age.

Targeting the gene could potentially improve muscle recovery after surgery, illness, or conditions such as cancer, particularly in people who are unable to exercise.

“Exercise tells muscles to 'clean up and reset.' Lowering DEAF1 helps older muscles regain strength and balance, almost like hitting the rewind button. With millions of older adults at risk of muscle decline, understanding DEAF1 could lead to new ways to protect muscles and improve quality of life,” said Priscillia Choy Sze Mun, first author of the study.

Healthy muscles are essential for far more than movement. They help maintain balance, support metabolism, regulate blood sugar, and enable people to stay independent as they age.

The study also confirms that regular exercise not only strengthens muscles but also helps retain their ability to repair themselves at the cellular level. In short, staying physically active remains one of the most effective ways to protect muscle health and promote healthy aging.

Cardio has long been the gold standard for heart health, while yoga is often seen as a way to enhance flexibility or relieve stress. This has led to a debate over which is better for overall health.

On the 12th International Yoga Day 2026, HealthandMe turned to experts to understand the ultimate regimen for heart and overall health.

Is the Debate Warranted?

Dr. V Mohan, Chairman of Dr. Mohan's Diabetes Specialities Centre and Madras Diabetes Research Foundation, told HealthandMe that yoga and cardio exercises provide a lot of health benefits.

Rather than viewing yoga and cardio as competing options, they should be seen as complementary forms of exercise, he said.

Dr. Sudhir Kumar, Senior Consultant Neurologist at the Institute of Neurosciences, Apollo Hospitals, echoed a similar view, noting that the debate between yoga and cardio is often framed incorrectly because they are not competing interventions and offer complementary benefits.

Yoga vs Cardio

The experts explained that both forms of exercise work in different ways.

Brisk walking, running, cycling, jogging, and swimming are cardio exercises that help improve cardiovascular health, insulin sensitivity, and calorie burning.

On the other hand, yoga focuses mainly on balance, strength, flexibility, stress management, and emotional well-being.

Dr Sudhir told HealthandMe that aerobic exercise, such as brisk walking, running, cycling, or swimming, has the strongest evidence for improving cardiorespiratory fitness (VO₂ max), reducing cardiovascular risk, enhancing insulin sensitivity, and lowering the risk of diabetes, heart attack, and stroke.

Dr Mohan added that yoga helps improve balance, strength, flexibility, stress management, and emotional well-being. Chronic stress can increase cortisol levels, and elevated cortisol levels can cause uncontrolled blood sugar levels and may contribute to weight gain. Yoga helps address these issues while improving overall quality of life.

What Is An Ideal Fitness Regimen?

Dr Mohan said an ideal fitness regimen should include both cardio exercises for metabolic and cardiovascular health, and yoga for stress management, boosting self-esteem, and long-term sustainability.

Dr Sudhir said that for overall health, neither should be viewed as a substitute for the other. Current scientific evidence supports a combination approach: regular aerobic exercise for heart and metabolic health, strength training for musculoskeletal health, and yoga for flexibility, recovery, and stress management.

"The best exercise is ultimately the one that is sustainable and becomes a lifelong habit," he said.

Both Have an Important Role

Vadodara-based cardiologist Dr Pruthvirajsinh Puwar, Consultant Interventional Cardiologist, shared that both play an important role.

"Cardio activities like walking, running, or cycling help strengthen the heart muscle, improve blood circulation, and control weight. Yoga, on the other hand, helps reduce stress, improve breathing, balance blood pressure, and calm the nervous system," he said in an Instagram post.

He suggested combining both — regular physical activity for strength and yoga for balance and relaxation.

How Yoga Benefits Heart Health

Several studies have claimed the benefits of yoga for reducing the risk of hypertension, insulin resistance, and dyslipidemia, which are key to reducing health risks as well as improving overall health.

One of yoga's most significant benefits for heart health is its ability to promote relaxation of both the body and mind. Emotional stress triggers the release of hormones such as cortisol and adrenaline, which can constrict blood vessels and raise blood pressure. Through controlled breathing and mindfulness, yoga can help counter these stress-related effects.

Feelings of anxiety and depression are also common after major cardiac events, including a heart attack, bypass surgery, or a diagnosis of heart disease. When incorporated into a broader treatment plan, yoga can support stress management and emotional well-being during recovery.