Is it time to end the use of BMI?
Does your practice use Body Mass Index (BMI) to diagnose patients with obesity? BMI is the tool most healthcare providers use to determine if a patient is obese. While it is a standard tool for diagnosing obesity, many think BMI has limitations and should be phased out in favor of other tools.
This article in Medscape When Do We Stop Using BMI to Diagnose Obesity? looks at the history of BMI as a health measure. The article points out that the tool was originally developed almost 200 years ago as an observational tool for how people's weight changed in proportion to their height. It was never intended to be used as a health measurement. Sylvia Gonsahn-Bollie, MD, an integrative obesity specialist, points out that while the use of BMI should be phased out, this will take time, as the tool is integrated into much of healthcare and health research.
Our practice tip Policy and Procedure Manual in Practice Management provides helpful information on developing written policies and procedures for your practice to help ensure safe, high-quality care.