Who invented Body Mass Index (BMI) formula ?

Question

Accepted Answer

The correct option is (4):
The Body Mass Index (BMI) formula was conceptualized and developed by **Adolphe Quetelet**, a Belgian astronomer, mathematician, and statistician, between 1830 and 1850. He originally referred to it as the **Quetelet Index** as part of his groundbreaking research in "social physics," a field he pioneered to find the mathematical laws governing human characteristics. The formula, which divides weight in kilograms by the square of height in meters, was an attempt to define the statistical parameters of the "average man" (l'homme moyen). Although American physiologist Ancel Keys later popularized and formally renamed it the Body Mass Index (BMI) in 1972, Quetelet's mathematical relationship between weight and height remains the core foundation of the index.

The incorrect option is (1):
H. M. Borrow is not a recognized figure in the history of biostatistics or anthropometry credited with the invention of the Body Mass Index formula. The mathematical relationship used to calculate the BMI is a well-established historical concept developed by a specific 19th-century Belgian scholar. There is no academic or scientific documentation linking H. M. Borrow to the creation of the Quetelet Index, which is the original name for the BMI formula. Therefore, this option is a distracter unrelated to the formula's true origin.

The incorrect option is (2):
Jack Nelson is a well-known and respected figure in the world of sports, particularly recognized as a highly successful American Olympic swimming coach. His contributions lie in the field of athletic training, coaching methodologies, and physical education. He did not engage in the field of biostatistics to devise fundamental formulas for measuring relative weight. Attributing the complex, historically-rooted mathematical formula for BMI to a figure known primarily for coaching would be factually incorrect and misrepresent the formula's statistical origins.

The incorrect option is (3):
Michael Hitson is not recorded in the annals of scientific or medical history as having any involvement with the creation of the Body Mass Index. The invention of the formula predates much of modern biostatistical research, firmly placing its origins in the mid-19th century. Since the formula's creation is definitively linked to the work of Adolphe Quetelet, this option is simply an erroneous attribution.