Myth 4 – The BMI Causes People to Feel Bad About Themselves

There are a couple of issues here.  First of all, I don’t think the use of the BMI has caused people to have a poor self-image.  If they do feel poorly about themselves, I believe it is the result of the many other instances of discrimination that they are subjected to every day.  This discrimination is unfair but it is there.  I truly believe everyone should feel good about their self-image no matter what it is or others may think.  If someone has a BMI that suggests they are overweight or obese, no one should view that as a criticism of their character or worth as a person, but as a risk factor that they should recognize and, if motivated, work on improving.  If they are aware of the truth about the health risk, and they choose to not address it, that does not diminish them.  It is their health decision.

Insights For Health Bottom Line: No one should define their self-worth by a number.  But you and your doctor should consider BMI, waist circumference and percentage body fat along with your family history to determine the best path to maximize your health.

I hope these last few posts gave you a clearer perspective on the value of the BMI.

For Your Health – Dr. Bob



Myth 3 – Some People Normally Have a Higher BMI & They Are Healthy

The thinking here is that a high BMI poses no health risk for some people.  Since genetics plays a huge role in determining a lot of things including our metabolism, it’s probably true that some people are predisposed to have a higher BMI, but that doesn’t make it less of a risk factor.  Your risk for illnesses comes from an interplay of many risk factors.  So someone may have favorable risks because they are genetically predisposed to having lower blood pressure and cholesterol, but they have a family tendency of being overweight or obese.   Compared to someone with high blood pressure and high cholesterol who is also overweight, they will have a lower risk of heart disease.  However, if they lower their BMI, they will have an even lower risk.

I need to work on my lifestyle through making healthier food choices and exercising regularly to counteract these risk factors.  The same goes for someone who has a tendency to have a high BMI.  They have to work harder than someone whose genetics have a higher metabolism.

Insights For Health Bottom Line:  Though favorable genetics as shown in your family’s health history may lessen the impact of a high BMI, your risks will be even lower if you maintain a more normal BMI.

Myth 2 – The BMI Doesn’t Really Mean Anything

This is wrong.  There are many studies that show that people who have a higher BMI are at risk for serious illnesses.  For instance, the higher the BMI,  the greater the risk of a heart attack.  Most importantly, the reverse is true.  If you decrease your BMI you decrease your risk of stroke and heart attack.   Another study in women shows that women with a BMI over 29 have a 3.3 times greater chance of a fatal or non-fatal heart attack within the next eight years than women with a BMI less than 21.  BMI values between 18.5 and 24.9 are considered normal.  These results were adjusted for age and smoking status, meaning that comparisons were made between women of the same age and smoking status so any differences in heart attack risk could not be attributed to either of those factors. 

Insights For Health Bottom Line: A high BMI increases your health risks for many serious medical conditions, but other factors can also affect those risks.  BMI is a modifiable risk factor – something you can do something about to lower your risks.

Next time we’ll consider the myth that for some people a high BMI is normal.

For Your Health – Dr. Bob