Body Adiposity Index (BAI)

The Body Adiposity Index (BAI) is a simple way to estimate how much of your body is made up of fat using only your height and the size of your hips. Unlike BMI, it does not require a weighing scale, so it can be useful when weight is hard to measure. It gives your doctor another number to help judge whether you are carrying too much body fat.

The Body Adiposity Index is an anthropometric estimate of percentage body adiposity calculated from hip circumference and height using the formula BAI = (hip circumference in cm divided by height in metres raised to the power of 1.5) minus 18. It was developed as an alternative to BMI that avoids reliance on body weight, which can be confounded by muscle mass. BAI correlates with body fat percentage measured by DEXA, though accuracy varies across ethnic groups and at extremes of body fat.

BAI can add useful information to BMI and waist measurement when Dr Joseph Wang and our team assess body composition, especially for patients for whom BMI is misleading. Understanding how fat is distributed helps guide a more personalised weight management plan.