3 Reasons Why BMI is NOT a Health Metric
For close to 3 decades, Body Mass Index (BMI) has been an unreliable measure used in our healthcare system to define the “health” of an individual. Unfortunately, the idea that weight is a measure of one’s health has been around since the 1950s when the vice president of a life insurance company adapted a system from an outdated statistical index from 1832.Despite its’ flaws, BMI is consistently used as a weapon against those that live in bodies larger than those deemed socially acceptable by mainstream diet and fitness culture. The result: decades of abuse, neglect, and shame for anyone who doesn’t fit inside the confines of the BMI measure.
Many of us know that the BMI system is inaccurate and negatively impacts how people aretreated by healthcare providers, insurance providers, and the general public.
We are here to let you know that BMI is not a reflection of an individual’s life, story, or worth.
BMI does not take context into account.
The original index from 1832 was made for Belgians and uses a person’s weight divided by their height squared.
However, a person is more than their height and weight. There are several factors that have to be taken into account when a doctor is trying to determine health such as: gender, race, age, body type, and hobbies.
2. It doesn’t help identify the factors for intervention.
The BMI system does not make any distinction between fats, muscles, and other bodily matter. There are different types of body mass, only a few of which indicate need for early intervention.
3. It is used as the single way of identifying obesity.
Doctors tend to use the BMI metric as the only way to figure out a patient’s health. A more accurate diagnosis could incorporate blood pressure, cholesterol, and glucose levels, amongst other tests available.
BMI is NOT what makes you who you are! This sentiment has started picking up popularity in the past few years and it is helping remind the general public that Body Mass Index is an inaccurate measure implemented by a flawed system.
Here at My Health Matters Fitness, we do not use scales, measurements, or BMI to inform the support we provide you. We are here to meet you wherever you are on your health and movement journey, without judgement. There are no mirrors in our training spaces so we can focus on perceived exertion, not skewed perceptions of your reflection. Check us out at WWW.MHMFITWELL.COM or email us at INFO@MHMFITWELL.COM to learn more about our HAES (Health At Every Size) approach to movement and exercise.
