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It is for individuals but it's reasonable to use as a population measure. Waist-to-height and waist-to-hip ratios are also good measures for population-level health and those work a little better for individuals.

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Underlining this point. As imprecise as it may be for an individual, it is remarkably good directionally.

More, for many individuals, it is more accurate than folks give credit.

This chart from the CDC shows obesity prevalence from 1999 to 2018. It's a very good indication of where we are going as a nation bmi-wise.

https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/images/databriefs/351-400/db360-fig...

It's especially reasonable when we're talking about changes in BMI instead of levels regarding a population. That can only be driven by the population getting fatter.

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