- Some experts say body mass index (BMI) is a good starting point for people to assess their overall health.
- Critics, however, say the measurement is outdated and discriminates against women and People of Color.
- The best advice is to use BMI as a tool to determine if you need other tests, or if you need to change your diet or exercise routine.
It’s a common practice for those focusing on weight and health: Clicking on an online tool to estimate your body mass index (BMI).
But for a segment of the population like People of Color, including those of Asian descent, as well as many athletes, BMI results may not represent your true health at that moment.
Still, obesity and weight-health experts say BMI is a worthy data point to help guide the overall treatment of patients.
“BMI is a great tool for the population in general,” Dr. Caroline M. Apovian, co-director of the Center for Weight Management and Wellness at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, told Healthline, “but it breaks down somewhat in some individuals.”
Case in point: National Football League player Rob Gronkowski’s BMI comes in at 30.6, which is considered obese. That’s because the BMI doesn’t know he’s muscular, quite tall, and has six-pack abs.
BMI can be off, too, in
Some ethnicities, like those of Asian descent, can develop signs of type 2 diabetes at a lower BMI than the estimator chart would put them. Obesity is a risk factor for type 2 diabetes.
“The BMI is an outdated, racist, and sexist ratio of weight and height that was never intended to assess or diagnose an individual’s medical status,” said Samantha DeCaro, PsyD, a licensed psychologist and assistant clinical director at The Renfrew Center of Philadelphia who specializes in eating disorders.
“The BMI perpetuates the myth that people in larger bodies are always at risk for health problems and those in smaller bodies are not. For that reason, the BMI hurts every body,” DeCaro told Healthline.
Source: healthline