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lvclifton t1_j0dkofj wrote

They need something better than BMI. My family are big people. My 7 yo son with 15% body fat was labeled morbidly obese by BMI charts. Appropriate body fat for a 7yo male is between 13 and 19%. BMI assumes your muscles and bones (and more) weigh the exact same as mine. Look at skeletons and weigh them. They completely differ in weight. It is a bad model. My 7 yo ending up with eating disorders because he was told he was morbidly obese by a doctor covering for his normal pediatrician. Once I showed her you can see his ribs through his skin, she ordered cholesterol tests. Those came back perfect. Nope, he was not morbidly obese nor obese at all.

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Aurelius314 t1_j1k4oki wrote

On average bones and muscles tend to weight the exact same as bones and muscle - but especially for muscles the amount of muscular mass we carry can vary significantly.

BMI doesnt really care about body composition, which is why it should not be used as the singular measure for individual health - but for population health the situation is different.

How do you suggest we get access to skeletons we can weigh, outside of comitting grave robbery?

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