099: Let's Talk BMI
Anyone who has gone to a doctor has had their BMI measured. This is something all physicians do because it’s a standard of care, it’s still considered important according to the guidelines given to medical professionals. BMI is a flawed guideline, we know this now. But why was it adopted at all? What does it actually measure? I thought it was high time to devote an episode to answering all the questions you have about BMI. I’ve addressed parts of BMI in previous episodes but this is the one where I break it all down for you and talk about how it works and why it’s so flawed.
Anyone who has gone to a doctor has had their BMI measured. This is something all physicians do because it’s a standard of care, it’s still considered important according to the guidelines given to medical professionals. BMI is a flawed guideline, we know this now. But why was it adopted at all? What does it actually measure? I thought it was high time to devote an episode to answering all the questions you have about BMI. I’ve addressed parts of BMI in previous episodes but this is the one where I break it all down for you and talk about how it works and why it’s so flawed.
Medicine is slow to change which is why the BMI is still being used, despite knowing its limitations. The BMI doesn’t actually measure what we intend it to. We use it as a way to estimate body fat percentage but that’s not what it is designed for, that’s not what it does. Measuring body fat is important because there are different types of fat in your body and I talk about them. I talk about why relying on BMI gives inaccurate ideas about people’s health and what a better methodology would be. I talk about metabolic syndrome and diabetes. I really just address all the questions I’ve been asked about BMI so you can see why it doesn’t reliably correlate with health. There are things that do contribute to a “happy weight” and I explain them so you can focus on those with your doctor instead of BMI.
—
Learn more about Dr Michelle Tubman and Wayza Health:
- Website: www.wayzahealth.com
- Download my free Food Freedom Roadmap here
- Follow me on Facebook and Instagram
Listen On
