This was on NPR's Weekend Edition. I thought it was fabulous! Everything is according to the BMI these days, and it drives me insane. Even when doctors, nutritionists, and other professionals know how bogus the BMI is, it still holds such authority. I get that professionals want a general statistic, but really ,couldn't they come up with something better than a formula dated to the 19th century! Yes, it is 200 years old!
To my delight, the Top 10 reasons why the BMI is Bogus
Personally, I really like 2, 3, and 4 best.
6 comments:
Thanks for sharing!
yep! I caught this on npr too!
Thanks for writing about this - it never ceases to amaze me when highly educated professionals continue to use outdated, meaningless measures (others that come to mind are the Rorschak). If you haven't already come across it, you may be interested in reading "Junkfood Science" a blog written by a nurse with a lot of research experience. In particular, her "The Figure-Flaw Paradox: Does it really matter how your body measures up?" post relates directly to NPR's bit on BMI.
Thank you soooooo much for posting this. I really needed to hear it because I'm always worrying about my BMI. Thanks, Tiptoe!
Glad everyone enjoyed the post.
Elizabeth, yes, I've read Junk Food Science, though haven't kept up with it recently. I'll look at that post.
Yes, I agree with you about the Rorschach. So many interpretations.
HA - What a complete CROCK! Obssessing over my BMI according to 'charts' almost killed me.
I'll take good bones and a strong body over some 'hack' (nice one, btw!) spitting out some number based on a rudimentary & archais formula.
Thanks, Tiptoe!!!
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