Introduction
The Body Mass Index; BMI; has become the standard for measuring body mass at an individual level. And despite wide criticism and acceptance of its limitations, its dominance remains.
This episode explores:
- what the BMI is
- why it came to be and what it was intended for
- how it became embedded into our society
- where to from here
Resources mentioned:
- Adolphe Quetelet Origins
- Development of the Quetelet Index / Body Mass Index
- Origins of Quetelet Index/BMI
- BMI episode of Unpacking Weight Science podcast with Fiona Willer, PhD
- Diagnostic Criteria for Eating Disorders
- 2013 meta-analysis of BMI and all-cause mortality
- 2020 paper discussing aforementioned meta-analysis
- 2021 research response
- Book a discovery call with me
- Food and Body Freedom Facebook community
