American Medical Association Deems Body Mass Index Measure ‘Racist’

In light of the findings, the new policy supports the AMA in “educating physicians on the issues with BMI and alternative measures for diagnosing obesity,” it states, adding that the AMA “recognizes issues with using BMI as a measurement due to its historical harm, its use for racist exclusion, and because BMI is based primarily on data collected from previous generations of non-Hispanic white populations.”

Claiming that BMI is “significantly correlated with the amount of fat mass in the general population but loses predictability when applied on the individual level,” the AMA suggests it be “used in conjunction with other valid measures of risk such as, but not limited to, measurements of visceral fat, body adiposity index, body composition, relative fat mass, waist circumference and genetic/metabolic factors.”

“The AMA also recognizes that relative body shape and composition differences across race/ethnic groups, sexes, genders, and age-span is essential to consider when applying BMI as a measure of adiposity and that BMI should not be used as a sole criterion to deny appropriate insurance reimbursement,” it continues.

According to AMA Immediate Past President Jack Resneck Jr. M.D., the way BMI “has been used to measure body fat and diagnose obesity” is subject to various concerns, noting it is “important for physicians to understand the benefits and limitations of using BMI in clinical settings to determine the best care for their patients.”

Last month, AMA members highlighted the “racist origins” of the BMI, as well as the “flawed science, misperceptions, and stigma that people with obesity encounter.”