Which of the following is a potential limitation of BMI as a measure of body composition?

The potential limitation of BMI as a measure of body composition is that it does not differentiate between fat mass and lean mass. This is a significant factor because BMI is calculated solely based on weight and height, categorizing individuals as underweight, normal weight, overweight, or obese without providing insight into the actual composition of body mass. As a result, a person with a high proportion of muscle mass may be classified as overweight or obese under the BMI system, even though they may have low levels of body fat and be in excellent health. This inability to separate fat mass from lean mass can lead to misleading assessments of an individual's body composition and health status.

In terms of the other options, specialized equipment is not required to calculate BMI, as it only requires height and weight measurements. Furthermore, BMI can be taken at any time without the need for consistency in daily measurement. Finally, while BMI takes age into account in its interpretations of overall health risks, it does not use age in its actual calculation, which is purely based on height and weight. Therefore, the most relevant limitation highlighted is the lack of distinction between different types of body mass.