Curious whether you're on track to live a long, healthy life into your golden years? Most health professionals would tell you to hop on a scale, since numbers like weight and BMI (body mass index) are often used to predict your chances of developing certain diseases and your life expectancy overall. The problem? Neither weight nor BMI is truly an accurate or adequate measure of your health.

That's because "weight and BMI are not customized to sex or body type, nor do they take into account muscle mass, bone density, overall body composition and ethnic differences," says John P. Higgins, MD, a sports cardiologist and professor of cardiovascular medicine at The McGovern Medical School at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth).

Read more at Livestrong.