BMI, which stands for Body Mass Index, is a number that represents your body mass based on your height. The number is calculated by your weight divided by your squared height (weight is measured in kilograms and height in meters). Until now, BMI has been used as a tool to screen for obesity. It has been a quick method that doctors use to measure your weight and, based on that, what risks you face for various metabolic diseases.
Recently, though, the BMI method of measurement has come under attack. The biggest issue has to do with what the BMI number leaves out. Because it is based on weight and height alone, it turns out that BMI neglects to consider a number of important factors. So how accurate a measure of health can BMI be? After all, it fails to consider nutrition, exercise, muscle mass, bone density, or genetics. General lifestyle choices go completely ignored. It would seem that the BMI number is an almost arbitrary one, and might cause more harm than actual good.
Just to drive this point home: women who have the exact same BMI number can have a wide variety of body types, and look almost nothing alike. Of two women who both have a BMI of 21.6, for example, one woman might stand at 5’7” while the other stands at 5’1”.
It would seem that women with totally different bodies are being lumped together in the same category—but for what purpose? How helpful can these numbers actually be to doctors and other healthcare professionals? Maybe it’s time to find a more accurate measure of health and wellness. A better system of measurement would most likely lead to greater health all around. Plus, any system that causes women to feel shame about their bodies is a system we’re all better off getting rid of. Good riddance!
BMI: 17.8
5'4" vs. 5'6"
BMI: 21.6
5'7" vs 5'1"
BMI: 22.7
5'8" vs 5'2"
