The Body Mass Index (BMI) Conspiracy
February 13, 2004
In the mid-1990s a government committee controlled by
drug companies decided who is and who is not fat. By their new
calculations, they determined about 60 percent of all Americans were fat or
at least overweight. The U.S. Government accepted their decision.
Their "wisdom" was condensed into a calculation called
the BMI or body mass index. The index is based solely on height and weight
with no consideration for skeletal size or muscle mass.
The BMI commonly labels the fittest athletes as
overweight with many being obese some severely so. Fit persons have more
muscle mass and therefore weigh more.
The BMI is simplistic and inaccurate.
To illustrate:
*Arnold Schwarzenegger, at the height of his body
building career had a BMI of 30.1 (overweight) and an "off season" BMI of
32 (obese).
According to the BMI, Arnold was fat, even obese! Not
many people would say Arnold was or is fat, not to his face, anyway.
The BMI was created to insure a large pool of customers
for diet plans, diet foods and weight reducing medicines. This multibillion
dollar industry uses the help of well meaning health care providers by
urging them to use the government approved BMI in their assessments.
Drug companies will say the BMI is only a tool to help
doctors determine whether a patient has a problem or is at higher risk for
disease. But the BMI is quick and easy. It is too easy and doctors fail to
accurately assess each patient for true obesity. Patients are categorized
and then criticized.
It's about money.
The BMI is part of a strategy to increase business for
everyone who uses it in their business. By categorizing most Americans as
fat, they create a bigger market for their services and drugs.
Pathetic and annoying.
Doctors must look at the whole person and assess all
applicable factors before declaring the patient overweight and prescribing a
diet or medicine.
Doctors must start acting professionally and stop relying
on the BMI or anything related to the BMI as part of their assessment.
The Arnold example above shows the BMI cannot be taken
seriously.
Patients deserve better from their doctors and they must
demand better.
* Arnold Schwarzenegger stats: Height: 6’2”,
Weight while competing: 235 lbs, Weight in the “off season”: 250
