For decades now, BMI has been measured and used by many health professionals to indicate whether or not an individual is considered normal, overweight, or obese in regards to their weight. BMI, otherwise known as ‘body mass index’, contains a measurement that gives a set range of what one should weigh based on their height. Even though there is a mathematical equation that takes measurements into account, there are more flaws with the measurement than what meets the eye. Despite this, many doctors still use BMI as an accurate indicator to see if one is considered healthy.
There are many reasons why you shouldn’t be using BMI as a measurement for proper health, one being the negative impact it can have on one’s mental health. The measurement doesn’t take into account internal and external factors, for example. The main argument that explains why the general public shouldn’t be using this measurement is that BMI doesn’t make any distinguishments between one’s body fat and body muscle. People who have more muscle and are considered incredibly fit and athletic would be considered overweight according to this measurement.
Additionally, this measurement is the same for both men and women. Obviously, there are more factors unique to each sex that determine weight gain. For example, women go through a series of weight fluctuations throughout the month due to their menstrual cycle and a constant change in hormones. BMI doesn’t take into account genetics or ethnicity either, which can also prove to be an important factor for one’s weight to height ratio.
The most pressing issue of relying too heavily on one’s BMI is the fact that doing so can lead to negative mental health implications. Because doctors use the BMI measurement as their primary indicator of health, this is then introduced to many young girls and affects both their mental and physical well-being. Doctors use this measurement without seriously thinking of the negative implications of introducing such a measurement to young adolescent women.
Women are then taught at a young age how to measure a weight that is “healthy and desirable” without any real explanation as to why. Many women who have developed eating disorders later in life have used the BMI measurement as a guide as to where they should be. Consequently, this provides the women with a negative mindset if they don’t fit the BMI number. According to the measurement having an 18.5-25 is a normal and healthy scale where as 26-30 scale is overweight and anything over 30 is considered obesity. However, something many people don’t know is that in 1999 the healthy BMI scale was changed. A 27, which was deemed a healthy number, went down to 25 – solely because of the fact that it was an easier number to remember. Overnight, thousands of people were classified as unhealthy and overweight. This shows how we should discredit BMI and not use it as an indicator for health, as it primarily only has negative effects on society.