The Mycenaean

BMI, also known as the Body Mass Index, is a tool healthcare providers such as primary doctors or nurses use to measure a person’s health using height, mass, age, and gender. A number is generated and a patient is categorized into one of the below categories. 

Underweight = <18.5

Normal weight = 18.5–24.9

Overweight = 25–29.9

Obesity = BMI of 30 or greater

It is widely used to gauge if a patient is overweight or underweight and to find the healthiest weight for them. It also can cause weight-related shame and contribute to developing an eating disorder. 

From MedPage Today, Bryn Austin, ScD, and Tracy K. Richmond, MD, MPH, discusses the consequences of shaming patients about their weight using the BMI scale. “Yet, a growing body of research on weight stigma in medicine has identified routine BMI assessments as a key barrier to care for people living in larger bodies and for others experiencing weight-based shame.”

Weight stigma and the continual shame from doctors about weight can cause the development of eating disorders or encourage harmful eating habits. Especially concerning teens because a doctor is someone you can trust to give you all the medical facts, so the weight shame is particularly harmful to teens, whose brains are still developing and vulnerable. 

While the BMI scale is harmful because it has the potential to cause eating disorders, it is also inaccurate. A BMI scale considers a patient’s height, age, gender, and healthy weight a patient ne However, it doesn’t account for fat distribution or muscle weight.

For example, a person who is considered to be obese by the BMI scale might be incredibly muscular and have considerable strength. At first glance, their muscles cause them to weigh more, but that doesn’t mean they need to lose weight or are obese, especially if they are healthy. 

It’s also important to consider if fat distribution surrounding the internal organs can cause problems in the future, but fat around the hips may never cause problems. The BMI isn’t able to determine that fact. It’s the doctor’s job to analyze each patient, though. It’s Ways to improve their health. 

Harvard T.H. Chan, School of Public Health, reports, “Experts have also pointed out that BMI fails to take into account factors such as how much fat versus muscle a patient has, the distribution of fat in their body (typically, fat around the waist increases disease risk more than fat in other places), and their metabolic health.” 

So how does the BMI scale affect teenagers at Leesville

While the eating disorder epidemic is a big problem among teenagers, Leesville is no different. 

In an interview about eating disorders at Leesville, Pamela Saldanha, Leesville school counselor, said, “I am aware of students who are struggling with eating disorders, especially when it gets to a point that it might require hospitalization or certain treatment and then we need to get involved to help them maintain a sort of school along with the treatment program that they’ve been carrying out.”

Everywhere in society people are struggling with eating disorders, but teenagers might be more susceptible to developing one. Saldanha referenced that she thought teenagers cared a lot more about what others think which could lead to self-judgment. 

While Saldanha was unsure about the BMI scale, and the connection to eating disorders, student and senior, Skyler Richards noticed the surrounding negativity involving the BMI scale and unrealistic standards. 

Richards, advocate for eating disorder awareness, said, “I think it’s not a good reflection of healthiness and body positivity. I think there are definitely better ways to go about it, I think there is a lot of negativity with how it’s marked or scaled.”

While being aware of weight is important, shaming using the Body Mass Index at the doctor’s office or just in everyday life should never occur for teenagers. As teens are hyperware of judgment the BMI scale shouldn’t be used as it promotes unhealthy eating habits and can brood eating disorders. 

Instead, a better option would be the waist to hip ratio to better determine a person’s health concerning their weight. Stay healthy, and if your struggling with an eating disorder reach out to those around you, asking for help is always okay.