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This information is designed to provide you with helpful educational information but is for information purposes only, is not medical advice, and should not be used as an alternative to speaking with your doctor. No representation is made that the information provided is current, complete, or accurate. Medtronic does not assume any responsibility for persons relying on the information provided. Be sure to discuss questions specific to your health and treatments with a healthcare professional. For more information please speak to your healthcare professional.

Although the BMI can be a reasonable tool for interpreting a person’s weight category, in some groups, it can be less accurate¹. For example:

• People with more muscle (such as athletes) have a lower proportion of body fat so a higher BMI might be considered acceptable.
• Women with the same BMI as men will typically have more body fat.
• People lose lean tissue as they age so older people have more body fat than younger people even if they have the same BMI.
• People from South Asian, Chinese and Japanese background may have more body fat at lower weights and be at greater risk of ill-health. They may need a BMI threshold of > 23 kg/m2 to be considered overweight.
• People from Pacific Island backgrounds (including Torres Strait Islander peoples and Maori) often have a higher proportion of lean body mass. They might need a higher BMI threshold to be considered overweight.
• Many Aboriginal people carry weight around the middle so even modest levels of overweight might be associated with an increased risk of Type 2 diabetes.