Should race be incorporated into weight management decisions?
commonsensemd.substack.com
I have a personal stake in the answer to this question. For most of my adult life, my body mass index (BMI) has ranged between 22 and 25 kg/m2, which is considered to be in the normal range (the threshold for overweight is a BMI of 25, and obesity a BMI of 30). But it turns out that I've been overweight for most of that time if one applies a race-specific definition of overweight (BMI greater than 23) for individuals of Asian descent. Where did this race-based cutpoint come from, and is it still relevant in an era when we generally frown on using race as a surrogate for social determinants of health in making clinical decisions?
Should race be incorporated into weight management decisions?
Should race be incorporated into weight…
Should race be incorporated into weight management decisions?
I have a personal stake in the answer to this question. For most of my adult life, my body mass index (BMI) has ranged between 22 and 25 kg/m2, which is considered to be in the normal range (the threshold for overweight is a BMI of 25, and obesity a BMI of 30). But it turns out that I've been overweight for most of that time if one applies a race-specific definition of overweight (BMI greater than 23) for individuals of Asian descent. Where did this race-based cutpoint come from, and is it still relevant in an era when we generally frown on using race as a surrogate for social determinants of health in making clinical decisions?