title: The BMI: Is It Time to Scratch for a More Accurate Assessment of Metabolic Dysfunction?
abstract: The body mass index (BMI = Kg/M(2)) is not a valid measure for clinical decisions, especially whether a patient will benefit from bariatric surgery. The measure, as used, discriminates against the muscular, the aged, women, and racial groups such as Asians and African Americans. The requirement must be eliminated since it denies many patients the only currently available therapy. This chapter provides the bibliographic data to support this argument and should prove useful in convincing carriers that the BMI is an inaccurate and, too often, cruel guideline.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Brody School of Medicine, East Carolina University, 600 Moye Blvd, Brody Medical Science 4W-48, Mail Stop 639, Greenville, NC, 27858, USA.
authors.forename: E Charles
authors.initials: EC
authors.lastname: Moore
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Brody School of Medicine, East Carolina University, 600 Moye Blvd, Brody Medical Science 4W-48, Mail Stop 639, Greenville, NC, 27858, USA. pories@aol.com.
authors.forename: Walter J
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Pories
keywords: BMI; Bariatric surgery; Metabolic syndrome; Obesity