Drs Fatima Cody Stanford and Natalie Boero join the AMA Journal of Ethics of Ethics Grand Rounds series to examine the clinical applications of BMI and their effects on patients and how our understanding of the obesity "epidemic" has evolved.
Weight loss is not a safe, effective, or permanent method of health promotion, and pharmacotherapeutical approaches pose specific risks to adolescents.
AMA J Ethics. 2023;25(7):E478-495. doi:
10.1001/amajethics.2023.478.
Underlying ideological foundations of stigma and equipment inadequacy include thin-centrism and inadequate representation of fat people in health care organizational leadership.
AMA J Ethics. 2023;25(7):E528-534. doi:
10.1001/amajethics.2023.528.
While useful in analyzing population trends in relative body weight, BMI possesses multiple shortcomings when used as an individualized health screening tool.
AMA J Ethics. 2023;25(7):E545-549. doi:
10.1001/amajethics.2023.545.
Editorial Fellows Astrid Floegel-Shetty and Kratika Mishra join Ethics Talk to discuss the development of this month’s theme issue on medicine’s overreliance on BMI, and fat stigma researcher Ragen Chastain talks about how patients can be harmed by BMI surgical guidelines and what to do if it happens to you.
Size-based health and beauty ideals emanated from eugenic pseudoscientific postulates, and BMI continues to advance white supremacist embodiment norms.
AMA J Ethics. 2023;25(7):E535-539. doi:
10.1001/amajethics.2023.535.