If you don't know about the BMI, it's a rather inaccurate measure of "who is fat" that got started off of an English guy trying to figure out what the totally average man would be like, and figure out what the relation between a person being a foot shorter and their weight might be.
You know that lovely electronic health record that Porkulus'09 gives the government?
The obesity-rating regulation states that every American's electronic health record must: “Calculate body mass index. Automatically calculate and display body mass index (BMI) based on a patient’s height and weight.”
The law also requires that these electronic health records be available--with appropriate security measures--on a national exchange.
From Common Sense Political Thought.
I've heard BMI defended as being fairly accurate for people of average build who are sedentary-- no sports, physical activity or regular exercise. I don't know anyone that fits that category, so I don't know. I do know that my uncles on one side were all considered "obese" by the BMI when they were dense enough that they literally had trouble floating with their face above water in a still pool. (All went Navy, all did farm work from age 14 or so, sports, look like extras from LotR, etc.)
3 comments:
Every time I go to the doctor, they check my height -- not sure why, since that hasn't changed in forty years -- and my weight; that's just SOP. The doctor can tell whether I'm overweight just by looking at me.
So, just what purpose is served by requiring the BMI calculation in every medical record, unless the government wants to have a searchable number? And why would the government need to search our medical records?
Makes it a lot easier to declare XYZ are over weight, on the least worrying side; makes it easy to deny health care unless someone makes themselves fit the form, on the other.
Some doctors are morons, some aren't. The morons would use the BMI, instead of something that's accurate; the ones who do their job will pay attention, instead.
Oh well!
I also don't think that BMI is an accurate assessment. I was born in Canada, but am a first generation African. I always tried to measure my body to the standards that were given at school but I seriously don't think that they apply to my body/heritage.
I have friend who weigh as much as me but are twice the size, I think it is definitely meant for Caucasians but I'm not entirely sure how accurate it is for other elasticities.
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