BMI History, Flaws, and Better Measures of Overall Health with Dr. Kara Pepper

Send a Text Message. Please include your name and email so we can answer you! Please note, this does not subscribe you to our email list, it's just to answer if you have a questions for us. Thinness equals health. There are generations of doctors that have been trained to believe this, and we have been indoctrinated by this concept for so long that it’s hard to believe anything else. One of the biggest contributing factors to this is the widespread adoption of the Body Mass Index (BMI) as a measure of health by the medical system.So where exactly does the BMI originate from and should we still be using it as a tool to assess someone’s health? To help me answer these important questions, I invited primary care Internist Dr. Kara Pepper to explain why the BMI is fraught with misinterpretation, and what we should be looking at instead. We also explore how patients who struggle with eating disorders can be better supported in a clinical setting.If you are someone that is struggling with an eating disorder, please reach out to your medical team for help, or contact the National Eating Disorder Help Line for further advice.Connect with Dr. Pepper:It's Not Just You podcastWebsiteInstagramTwitterResources:Health at Every SizeNational Eating Disorder Help LineFind an eating disorder professionalBooks:Fearing the Black Body - the Racial Origins of Fat PhobiaFat Talk - Parenting in the Age of Diet CultureIt's Always Been Ours - Rewriting the story of Black Women's BodiesAudio Stamps02:36 - Dr. Kara Pepper tells us more about who she is and who she helps.04:12 -  We find out where Body Mass Index (BMI) comes from, how it has evolved over time with the drug industry, and where we're at currently.10:21 - Dr. Rentea asks what Dr. Pepper would advise us to look at when it comes to our health, if BMI is not the main thing to focus on. 12:26 - We learn how both clinicians and patients can do a better job in making sure that they're getting screened appropriately for eating disorders.15:20 - Dr. Rentea reminds us of the importance of rethinking our normal and finding the right people to help us on our journey (see links above for specific resources).Quotes08:30 - “There are two generations of doctors at this point that are trained that thinness equals health.” -Kara Pepper MD08:40 - “That’s the take home: BMI is not a great metric for what we’re looking at.” -Kara Pepper MD11:01 - “Prioritizing the patient and their unique values is the primary goal of care.” -Kara Pepper All of the information on this podcast is for general informational purposes only. Please talk to your physician and medical team about what is right for you. No medical advice is being on this podcast. If you live in Indiana or Illinois and want to work with doctor Matthea Rentea, you can find out more on www.RenteaClinic.com Not Sure Where to Start With the Podcast? I’ve Got You.Get my free Podcast Roadmap—a simple guide to help you find the episodes that matter most to your journey. Whether you're on GLP-1s, navigating plateaus, or just starting out, there's something here for you.Support the show