The Questionable Nature of BMI

Simpson students gathered on Tuesday nightin Hubbell Hall to watch a documentary called America the Beautiful 2: The Thin Commandments.

The documentary followed Darryl Roberts on his journey to figure out why America is so obsessed with being thin. He goes on his own fitness journey in the film to find the best way to be “healthy.”

One of the most frequent references in the film is Body Mass Index (BMI). This is a formula to calculate (supposedly) whether a person is obese based on their height and weight.

A BMI of 18-24.9 is normal weight, whereas anything above 25 is considered overweight, according to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.

The issue raised by Roberts and by the Simpson Counseling office is whether BMI actually means anything.

BMI is a simple equation. It is a formula that calculates your body mass index. How can this number decide if a person is healthy or not?

In a discussion after the video, one Simpson student remembered his high school wrestling habits and how they may not have been healthy.

“I would lose 50 pounds in two weeks,” the participant said.

Here a Simpson student talks about his diet journey and

the unhealthy choices he made as a high school athlete.

The group discussed how this thin culture and obsession with a healthy BMI can lead to eating disorders and mental health issues.

“Everything in excess is bad,” another Simpson student observed after watching a person from the film become addicted to diet and exercise.

What is healthy? Is there an accurate way to measure it?

Join the conversation with the Simpson Counseling Services office and the hashtag #BeWellToDoWell.