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Fat Mass Index: Body Fat Relative to Your Height
All NiaHealth tests are processed in Canadian-certified labs, which are highly trusted by the medical community for their accuracy and reliability. Blood and urine samples are collected by licensed medical professionals and processed using state-of-the-art equipment. NiaHealth is SOC2 Type 2 certified.
What is it?
Fat Mass Index (FMI), measured using dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA), is a method for assessing body fat content while accounting for height. FMI is calculated by dividing the total amount of body fat (in kilograms) by the square of height (in meters²).
Calculation: FMI = Fat Mass (kg) / height (m)²
Why it matters
Reference ranges
Normative ranges for FMI have been reported for the NHANES cohort in the US (Kelly, Wilson, and Heymsfield 2009) and the LEAD cohort in Australia (Ofenheimer et al. 2020). FMI is typically higher in females than males. Sex-specific cut-off values that correspond with BMI categorization of overweight and obesity have also been derived from the NHANES cohort (Kelly, Wilson, and Heymsfield 2009).
These sex-specific cutoff values are based on the NHANES cohort in the US (Kelly, Wilson, and Heymsfield 2009), which matches FMI categories with corresponding BMI categories.
Women
- At-risk: <5
- Optimal: 5-9
- At-risk: >9
Men
- At-risk: <3
- Optimal: 3-6
- At-risk: >6
This information is educational and does not replace medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Your results should be interpreted with a qualified healthcare professional in the context of your health history.
