at Viral TikTok VideosAmerican athlete Ilona Maher recently spoke out against body shaming and the limitations of body mass index (BMI) as a measure of health.
The U.S. women’s rugby player has responded strongly to a social media commenter who made a derogatory remark about Maher’s BMI. The controversy began when the commenter speculated that Maher’s BMI was “30%.” (BMI is Not measured as a percentage.)
This has reignited the debate over whether BMI numbers are more harmful than beneficial.
In her video, Maher said, “I have a BMI of 30. To be exact, 29.3.” She also explained that about 170 of her 200-pound bodyweight is lean muscle mass.
This video has already been viewed 4.3 million times and liked by over 629,000 people. I deeply sympathize with the flaws in using BMI as a health indicator.
What Nutritionists Say About Ilona Maher’s BMI Video
We asked several nutritionists what they thought of the video. Here’s what they had to say:
- Joanna GreggRegistered Dietitian: “I love that Ilona loves and appreciates what her body can do, not her BMI or weight. BMI is often overlooked in medicine because it’s used as a determinant of health. A person with a healthy BMI may be less physically fit than someone with an overweight BMI. Love what your body can do, not its size! Athletes have to train and fuel themselves at levels the general public doesn’t, and we need more strong women like Ilona to show the younger generation what’s really important.”
- Catherine BasbaumRegistered Dietitian: “This is a perfect, real-world example of how BMI is just a number, like weight or age, and should not be used as a standalone piece of data to determine or identify a person’s health or physical well-being. BMI is a tool, not a diagnosis, and Ilona Maher is a perfect example of this.”
- Stephanie NelsonMyFitnessPal Chief Nutrition Scientist and Registered Dietitian: “Ilona was right! BMI doesn’t tell you anything about your worth or what you can do, much less how healthy your body is.”
- brookell whiteRegistered Dietitian: “Yes, you heard her right! BMI is calculated using someone’s height and weight. Since it only uses those two measurements, it doesn’t take into account muscle mass or body fat percentage, so it may not be a good indicator of obesity in athletes.”
- Daisy MercerRegistered Dietitian: “I really love her. BMI isn’t everything and often doesn’t give a good indication of someone’s overall health. It’s more important to look at the big picture and realize that we’re all made differently and have different activity levels that BMI can’t account for!”
Nutritionists tend to know the facts about the usefulness of BMI. Maher said in the video that he discussed BMI with his nutritionist, including details about what the number means and why it’s useful.
But if you’re still not entirely convinced, let’s take a closer look at what BMI actually is.
What is BMI?
BMI is simply a mathematical formula that divides a person’s weight (in kilograms) by the square of their height (in meters). Originally developed In the 19th century, statisticians looked at weight data at the population level rather than the individual level.
It has since been adopted by the World Health Organization (WHO). Classify individuals There has been extensive debate over the usefulness of categorizing people into categories such as underweight, healthy weight, overweight, and obese.
Athletes like Maher often Belongs to the overweight or obese category of BMIThanks to the impressive muscle mass. The main problem with BMI is that it doesn’t distinguish between muscle and fat.
“BMI is just a comparison of height and weight, nothing more,” says Nelson. “It doesn’t take into account a person’s muscle mass, and on its own, it doesn’t say anything about health, lifestyle, or especially values. The main utility of BMI is that it adjusts for height differences when assessing weight.”
So, when it helps Looking at a large population over time While adjusting for height, check if your weight increases or decreases on average. However, this does not mean that you should apply it on an individual level.
What should you focus on instead?
Rather than relying solely on BMI, pay attention to other indicators of health and fitness. For athletes, sport- and position-specific performance indicators are important.
According to Nelson, for most people, the following factors are more important to getting a full picture of their health:
- Body fat percentage (Your doctor can measure this during your annual physical!)
- Waist-to-hip ratio (You can measure the change by measuring with a tape measure every month)
- Overall diet quality (You can track your meals to better measure your eating patterns. MyFitnessPal)
- Lifestyle habits (You can focus on improving sleep, increasing physical activity, and reducing stress)
- Physiological risk factors (blood sugar, cholesterol, blood pressure, etc.)
“When it comes to preventing nutrition-related diseases, many experts tend to be more concerned with: How much fat tissue [or fat] “It’s sitting around your organs for a long time,” Nelson says. “That’s the visceral or abdominal fat that some people carry around in their abdomen.”
“Other indicators to look at include body fat percentage and waist-to-hip ratio,” says Nelson. “But it’s also important to consider your dietary habits. Are you getting enough protein, fiber, fruits, vegetables, and whole grains?”
This is another reason why tracking your meals can be so helpful. Using an app like MyFitnessPal can help you see how you stack up in terms of protein and fiber, giving you some useful insights. (Download the app for free today!)
Mayher ended her viral video by addressing the hecklers directly and reminding us all that she is an elite athlete performing on the biggest stage.
A powerful reminder that BMI tells you nothing about your abilities. When it comes to understanding your health, it can never be reduced to a single number, whether it’s your BMI or a number on a scale.
“BMI is a very small piece of information, and we need to be aware of its limitations,” Nelson says.
