The Functional Significance of Low Body Mass Index (International Dietary Energy Consultative Group - IDECG, 1992, 203 pages): Low body mass index, physical work capacity and physical activity levels: Introduction

The Functional Significance of Low Body Mass Index (International Dietary Energy Consultative Group - IDECG, 1992, 203 pages)

Low body mass index, physical work capacity and physical activity levels

		(introductory text...)
		Introduction
		Work capacity or 'stress'
		Low work capacity in a normal population
		Relevance of form of activity
		A theoretical analysis of effect; of BMI on activity
		Proposed minimum level of BMI to effect work capacity and activity
		BMI and the nature of work and activity
		Conclusion
		References
		Discussion

Introduction

The body mass index (BMI) must have some sort of a distribution around the mean in a normal population, and although the distribution may be skewed towards the upper end of the range in most populations of reasonable nutritional status, there will be groups of individuals, albeit of decreasing proportions, towards the minimum levels of normal BMI.

A low BMI might therefore indicate simply the lower end of the distribution curve of a population of normal individuals and not necessarily reflect any abnormal nutritional state. However, if the BMI is low enough to really indicate under- or malnutrition, there is likely to be little argument that this will probably imply an effect on work capacity and, as a consequence, perhaps reduced levels of physical activity.