BMI or Not to BMI? Debating the Value of Body Mass Index As a Measure of Health in Adults

Overview

Journal Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act

Publisher Biomed Central

Specialties Nutritional Sciences
Orthopedics
Social Sciences

Date 2025 Feb 26

PMID 40001193

Authors

Carmen Byker Shanks

Meg Bruening

Amy L Yaroch

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Body mass index (BMI) is used across public health to calculate height to weight ratio and translate into weight status. Whether BMI is appropriate as an individual- or population-level health measure for adults is debated. BMI is a cost-effective and feasible metric to establish health risk. Yet, BMI's historical underpinnings, weight categories, usefulness as clinical diagnostic measure, and application across population subgroups has called the measurement tool into question. At the annual ISBNPA meeting in June 2023, the co-authors engaged in a debate session on the topic. This paper presents the complexity of arguments for or against BMI as a measurement tool and proposes its evolution to support whole-person health.

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