Is BMI a scam? More than a few experts say yes
BMI can label a huge swath of our population as somehow aberrant because of their weight, even if they’re perfectly healthy. istockphoto
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There are few single measures in health care that seem to carry as much weight as body mass index, or BMI. We encounter it not just at doctor’s offices, but with online calculators and smart scales, at gyms and even when determining eligibility for the COVID vaccine.
Its formula is simple: Take your weight (in kilograms), and divide by the square of your height (in meters). The result, which slots you into one of four main categories, is meant to describe your body in a single word or two: underweight (BMI less than 18.5), normal weight (18.5 to 24.9), overweight (25.0 to 29.9) or obese (30 or greater).
Throughout 2021, Good Housekeeping will be exploring how we think about weight, the way we eat, and how we try to control or change our bodies in our quest to be happier and healthier. While GH also publishes weight loss content and endeavors to do so in a responsible, science-backed way, we think it’s important to present a broad perspective that allows for a fuller understanding of the complex thinking about health and body weight. Our goal here is not to tell you how to think, eat, or live nor is to to pass judgment on how you choose to nourish your body but rather to start a conversation about diet culture, its impact, and how we might challenge the messages we are given about what makes us attractive, successful and healthy.
Contexts by Rashawn Ray, Fabio Rojas, Victoria Reyes, and Marco Garrido | March 10, 2021 | Winter 2021
From the
Contexts Editors:
This past year has been a challenge in many ways. Still, it has been a pleasure to work with the community of writers, anonymous peer reviewers, and staff who make this magazine possible. In 2020, our previous managing editor, Paige Miller, transitioned out of her role, as well as Catherine Bolzendahl and Sabrina Strings transitioned out of their roles as editors of our culture section. We thank each of them for their work with
Contexts. In 2020, we also welcomed Genesis Fuentes and Simone Durham as our new managing editors. In addition, Simone now oversees the culture section and the management of contexts.org.
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Photo credit: Perryn Ford
Throughout 2021, Good Housekeeping
will be exploring how we think about weight, the way we eat, and how we try to control or change our bodies in our quest to be happier and healthier. While GH also publishes weight loss content and endeavors to do so in a responsible, science-backed way, we think it’s important to present a broad perspective that allows for a fuller understanding of the complex thinking about health and body weight. Our goal here is not to tell you how to think, eat or live nor is to to pass judgment on how you choose to nourish your body but rather to start a conversation about diet culture, its impact, and how we might challenge the messages we are given about what makes us attractive, successful and healthy.