The American Medical Association (AMA) says Body Mass Index (BMI) standards are rooted in racism. The organization says the criteria used to predict obesity and body fat are indirect and imperfect due to “historically harmful” use for racial exclusion. They say BMI was intended for the ideal “Caucasian of the 19th Century” and does not include room for ethnic and/or racial minorities. Such an anti-BMI view could be considered a uniquely American or Western one. The countries with the highest BMI are Australia, the United States, and the United Kingdom. These are primarily white and wealthy countries. Countries with the lowest BMI can be found in southeast Asia and sub-Saharan Africa.
SOURCES:
How BMI Is Rooted in Racism – YouTube
BMI standards are ‘racist’: American Medical Association
