Body mass index (BMI) categorization is a “racist” measuring system, according to the American Medical Association (AMA), who called for using “alternative measures to diagnose obesity instead.
In a press release from last week, the AMA announced its decision to adopt a new policy to clarify the role of BMI — a simple metric comparing height and weight for the purpose of inferring one’s total body fat — as a measure in medicine.
Body mass index (BMI) is easy to measure and cheap to do, but falls short in numerous ways at the individual patient level. Learn more about new policy adopted at #AMAmtg. https://t.co/wv9asL9lQP
— AMA (@AmerMedicalAssn) June 20, 2023
The AMA Council on Science and Public Health report, where the new policy is detailed, evaluates the “problematic history” with BMI — which has been widely used since the early 1970s — as it…
