Based on The Body User Manual by Dr. David Quartell and our companion podcast.*
When most people think about measuring their health, they think of a scale—or worse, their Body Mass Index (BMI). But as Dr. David Quartell explains in The Body User Manual, BMI can be misleading. After all, Donald Trump as president and Arnold Schwarzenegger as Mr. Universe once had the same BMI. Does that mean they had the same health profile? Of course not.
Why BMI falls short
BMI doesn’t measure fat distribution or muscle mass. It’s a blunt tool, useful for large population trends but not for personal health tracking.
Smarter ways to measure your health
Instead of BMI, try these tools:
- Tape Measure: Track waist-to-height and waist-to-hip ratios. These numbers tell you more about fat distribution and risks than BMI ever will.
- Skin Calipers: Measure subcutaneous fat to estimate body fat percentage. Even if your technique isn’t perfect, consistent measurement shows progress over time.
- Scale with Bioimpedance: Convenient for tracking trends, though less reliable than calipers.
Sleep: your overlooked health metric
Health isn’t only about body fat and weight. Sleep quality is one of the most important—yet neglected—markers. That’s why Dr. Quartell recommends affordable wearables like the Fitbit Inspire 3. Devices like these not only track your sleep but gamify it, motivating better choices. Apps like SnoreLab can also highlight snoring patterns, which may signal sleep apnea.
Don’t forget blood pressure
Another underrated tool: a home blood pressure cuff. Blood pressure shifts often show up before other signs of change in your health. Today’s electronic cuffs are simple, affordable, and provide valuable insight into cardiovascular health.
Putting it all together
Taken together, these tools—tape measure, calipers, scale, sleep monitor, and blood pressure cuff—create a more complete “body report card.” Combined with the mirror-test questions from Chapter 1, they give you a starting point for understanding where you are today and how to track progress.
Want to dive deeper? 🎧
If you’d like to hear more on this topic, head over to our podcast! You can find it here:
Youtube: https://youtu.be/fLPHAZ6vRR4
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/2Wx561sj4F7BhSsNm1XbvC?si=6d0eceab62354d0f
Apple podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/why-bmi-is-a-myth-and-what-to-use-instead/id1836785050?i=1000725575056
In our podcast, the hosts walk through how to use these tools, why they matter, and how they complement the bigger journey outlined in The Body User Manual. It’s about progress, not perfection—and these simple measurements help you see that progress more clearly.