Replacing body mass index with relative fat mass to accurately estimate adiposity

Nat Rev Endocrinol. 2025 Jul;21(7):393-394. doi: 10.1038/s41574-025-01120-0.

Abstract

Body mass index (BMI), as its name indicates, is a marker oftotal body mass and not a specific marker ofadipose tissue mass. Here, we position relative fat mass (RFM) as an ideal alternative to BMI by highlighting the superior performance of RFM in assessing cardiometabolic risk.