BMI, or body mass index, has long been criticized as an inaccurate measure of health. It calculates body fat based solely on height and weight, disregarding factors like muscle mass and fat distribution. The American Medical Association (AMA) recently acknowledged this issue and also labeled BMI as racist. The AMA believes the metric has been used for “racist exclusion” and has caused harm throughout history. The origins of BMI can be traced back to the 1830s when a Belgian mathematician gathered data from white European men, excluding other populations. Moreover, BMI was intended for population-level analysis, not individual health assessment. However, a study in 1972 by physiologist Ancel Keys led to widespread adoption of BMI in medical practice. This metric has contributed to misdiagnoses, particularly among people of color, and has been used to pathologize bodies that do not conform to a white standard. Negative reactions to BMI can result in real-world consequences, such as denial of insurance coverage or unnecessary weight loss recommendations. Recognizing these flaws, the AMA suggests using BMI alongside other valid measures of risk, such as visceral fat, body adiposity index, relative fat mass, waist circumference, and genetic/metabolic factors. Overall, the AMA’s new policy aims to change the perception and application of BMI in assessing overall health.
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