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WHY #BMI NEEDS TO GO - THREAD:
(after this thread lie my biased reasons for caring/knowing about this but let's first focus on objective reasons)
- over-diagnoses obesity without taking other health factors into account
- says nothing of psychiatric risk
#mentalhealth
(after this thread lie my biased reasons for caring/knowing about this but let's first focus on objective reasons)
- over-diagnoses obesity without taking other health factors into account
- says nothing of psychiatric risk
#mentalhealth
- Rapid weight loss = major risk: can be missed if one loses weight rapidly from higher/“normal” BMI
- Doesn’t note risks of regular purging
- BIG issue using it for service access: sometimes they don’t check MARSIPAN Health criteria in people with BMIs not considered low
- Doesn’t note risks of regular purging
- BIG issue using it for service access: sometimes they don’t check MARSIPAN Health criteria in people with BMIs not considered low
- Psychiatric staff unaware of MARSIPAN/complex physical risk factors can be falsely reassured by BMI
- BMI cut off for "normal" is 18.5. This was reduced from 20. Very few people have a BMI below 20 without restrictive eating
#mentalhealth #eatingdisorders #BMI
- BMI cut off for "normal" is 18.5. This was reduced from 20. Very few people have a BMI below 20 without restrictive eating
#mentalhealth #eatingdisorders #BMI
- Reliance on BMI = discharge from care at “healthy” weight when experts agree best to restore BMI between 20-22
- we need a better/more useful statistical numeral alternative to measure weight/health because doctors do need it but there must be another method
#BMI #mentalhealth
- we need a better/more useful statistical numeral alternative to measure weight/health because doctors do need it but there must be another method
#BMI #mentalhealth
PERSONAL REASONS:
my BMI was measured every school holiday between the ages of 8 and 10 years old because I was "obese". What was ignored was WHY WAS I USING FOOD. No talk about that - so all psychiatric help was ignored. Instead I became obsessed with losing weight
#mentalhealth
my BMI was measured every school holiday between the ages of 8 and 10 years old because I was "obese". What was ignored was WHY WAS I USING FOOD. No talk about that - so all psychiatric help was ignored. Instead I became obsessed with losing weight
#mentalhealth
Aged 14 diagnosed with anorexia. The illness made sense. Losing weight = good, right? (see previous tweet) 1st hospitalisation aged 15. Sectioned aged 17, a month away from dying. Aged 19 binge eating disorder: size 4 to size 20 in 6 months. BMI cared not for how suicidal I was
BMI measures body mass, not psychological distress
In my 20s I was bulimic for years, putting my internal organs under huge stress from daily binging and purging let alone my psychological distress and shame. No treatment because BMI = healthy so it doesn't count or matter
In my 20s I was bulimic for years, putting my internal organs under huge stress from daily binging and purging let alone my psychological distress and shame. No treatment because BMI = healthy so it doesn't count or matter
I've discovered the liberation of not weighing myself to be the BIGGEST past of my recovery from eating disorders. Weight does not equal health or well-being. I could be a size 20 and be happy and healthy. I wasn't because of the circumstances in which I'd reached that body.
BMI = an outdated way of measuring treatment criteria & physical & psychological health. New methods must be found or else life-threatening eating disorders will not receive treament & unnecessary fixations on unhelpful terms like "normal" weight, overweight, obese will persist
BIG thanks to @scousepie @AdrianGarciaMH for helping me think this through
