But those differences need to be studied to determine their clinical significance ( 5, 10). Therefore, the BMI scale has been lowered to account for their body type and to correctly identify those at an increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes, which is prevalent among Asian populations ( 7, 8).Īn older study showed that ethnic differences in body structure of Greenland Inuit populations compared with European and American white populations means that the BMI likely also overestimates overweight and obesity among the Inuit ( 9).Įthnic differences in body composition among women of African descent may be an underlying contributor to higher BMI rates among Black women. This means that their BMI typically falls within the normal range, but they have a higher body fat percent at any given BMI ( 7, 8). People of Asian descent have a “normal-weight obesity” body type. However, it’s been adjusted for Asian populations, because it underestimates obesity in this group ( 1). The BMI is applied in the same way for white, Hispanic, and Black people. Is BMI applied differently to Black women and People of Color? Remember: Although BMI is an effective indicator to monitor changes at the population level, it’s insufficient as a sole measure to diagnose obesity in individuals ( 1, 3, 5). This means that the BMI index may overestimate overweight and obesity in non-Hispanic Black men and women, and it potentially misclassifies them as “unhealthy.” Generally, non-Hispanic Black men and women have lower body fat percentages and higher muscle mass compared with non-Hispanic white people and Mexican Americans ( 5, 6). Despite being an estimate of body fat, it does not take body composition into account - that is, the percent of weight that’s fat versus lean mass, like muscle ( 5).įor instance, athletes or people with higher muscle mass percentages are often wrongly classified as overweight because of BMI readings, although their body fat percent may be within normal ranges ( 1). Factors that the BMI fails to considerīMI is an index relating weight to height. For people and populations that BMI misclassifies as overweight, there can be social and medical consequences. High BMI bodies have been stigmatized as “diseased bodies” in both scientific literature and media messaging ( 3).įurthermore, those with high BMI bodies have been characterized as lacking willpower. Given that the BMI was developed based on studies in white populations, its ability to accurately classify overweight and obesity in other populations has been questioned ( 5).įurthermore, BMI has been adapted to compare “healthy” and “unhealthy” weights. It was institutionalized in 1972, when nutritional epidemiologist Ancel Keys decided it was a suitable indicator of body fat percentage.ĭoes BMI discriminate against Black women? The BMI was established in 1842 by Lambert Adolphe Jacques Quetelet to support medical advancements. Since then, the BMI has been relied on as a standardized measure of obesity in various populations and is a key metric in the healthcare field. It was not until 1972, however, that nutritional epidemiologist and physician Ancel Keys determined that the BMI was a suitable indicator of body fat percentage in a population ( 3). It allowed medical practitioners to identify an individual based on their physical qualities and appropriately estimate their age. This information was used to advance medicine at that time. These “laws” characterized changes in physical attributes - namely height, weight, and strength - that can be expected as humans age and develop from infancy to adulthood. He used the results to name “laws” of growth ( 4). In 1842, Belgian astronomer and mathematician Lambert Adolphe Jacques Quetelet developed the BMI to identify statistical laws in the “average man” and observe how these appeared in the general population ( 3).Ī 1968 publication of Quetelet’s work revealed that he evaluated the growth, height, and weight of more than 9,000 white men, women, and children in Brussels and Belgium.

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