Why BMI Is More Controversial Than You Think

BMI (body mass index) is one of the most controversial tools in health and fitness. Some people say it’s outdated, inaccurate, and harmful. Others argue it’s still one of the most useful population health tools we have. So… who’s right? In this episode, we break down: where BMI came from what it was originally designed for what BMI actually measures whether BMI is useful for individuals why athletes and muscular people complicate the conversation how BMI relates to disease risk and mortality the biggest misconceptions about BMI weight stigma and the ethics of discussing body weight whether BMI should still be used in healthcare today We also discuss how social media has shaped the BMI debate — and why many online conversations oversimplify both the science and the criticism. This is not a “BMI is perfect” episode. And it’s not a “BMI is meaningless” episode either. As usual, we aim for nuance over outrage. We hope you like it. P.S., If you want to support us and would like monthly lifting workouts, you can join the Momentum by Sohee fitness app. http://momentumbysohee.com If you are interested in fat loss science, you can purchase Ben's best-selling comprehensive fat loss book, Everything Fat Loss. http://geni.us/EverythingFatLoss Timestamps 0:00 Introduction 2:28 What is BMI? 1:40 Origins of BMI 22:50 Cons of BMI 39:03 Pros of BMI 48:42 Key takeaways