BMI: When It’s Helpful & When It’s Not

On Health with Houston Methodist

Body mass index, or BMI, has long been used to gauge whether a person's weight falls in a healthy range, but people are rightly wondering whether the measurement makes sense for today's world. Do we need better ways to talk about weight? In this episode, we explore what the formula does and doesn't measure, when focusing on BMI can lead to misleading conclusions and practical tips for keeping tabs on our weight.

Expert: Dr. Laura Choi, Weight Loss Surgeon

Interviewer: Katie McCallum

Notable topics covered:

• Is there even such a thing as an "ideal" weight?
• The "ancient" history of BMI, including what it measures and why it's so widely used
• The pros and cons of this measurement
• The misleading conclusions that can come from relying on BMI alone
• Why BMI is used for certain medical diagnoses and treatment plans
• If not BMI, how should you think about your weight?
• Alternatives to BMI: Could body roundness index (BRI) be a better tool?
• The importance of looking at trends (not single readings) when using a smart scale
• Body fat isn't all bad: The value of having some fatty tissue
• Number-free ways to think about your weight

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