There’s a Dangerous Racial Bias in the Body Mass Index
At 73, Kanta Patel is contending with a host of chronic health conditions. In 2004, she went for a physical and learned she had elevated cholesterol. Then, two years later, Patel’s doctor diagnosed her with hypertension. She’s also a borderline Type 2 diabetic.
One would never think Patel, who emigrated from India 50 years ago, had such serious illnesses. She appears fit: 5 feet tall, 102 pounds, with a body mass index of only 19. She has always been physically active, and she eats a vegetarian diet. But looks (and a great BMI number) can be deceiving.
An increasing amount of research shows that BMI and weight are not necessarily the main indicators of a person’s health. Additionally, what’s considered an unhealthy BMI—a number that may predict the onset of chronic diseases—is not the same across
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