Short Wave
Should race affect BMI guidelines? Doctors are split
September 14, 2026·13 min·3-min readnarrativescience
Podzilla Summary (3 min)
TLDR
BMI, a 200-year-old metric never intended for medical use, remains a cornerstone of health assessments despite growing criticism for its oversimplification and racial inequities. The episode explores why doctors are reconsidering race-specific BMI cutoffs and whether any alternative can t
BMI, a 200-year-old metric never intended for medical use, remains a cornerstone of health assessments despite growing criticism for its oversimplification and racial inequities. The episode explores why doctors are reconsidering race-specific BMI cutoffs and whether any alternative can t
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Guest
K
Katie Wu
narrative on Short Wave
Mentions
Books, people, and resources mentioned in this episode.
People
Katie WuRegina Barber
Books
The Atlantic
Companies
NPR
Topics
Long Form JournalismMental HealthRacial Justice
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