Can a higher body mass index (BMI) be healthy?

BMI is an index of a person's weight in relation to height. It is a good tool used to determine health risks and mortality rates associated with excessive body weight. However, BMI does not differentiate between fat and lean body mass. Therefore, an individual who has a large amount of muscle mass may in fact have a BMI that places them in the overweight, or obese categories, even though they clearly have very little body fat. In such cases a high BMI can be healthy. However, a high BMI as a result of excessive body fat is not healthy. Health risks increase when BMI exceeds 25.0.