Health policies routinely emphasize weight loss as a target for health promotion. These policies rest upon the assumptions: (1) that higher body weight equals poorer health, (2) that long-term weight loss is widely achievable, and (3) that weight loss results in consistent improvements in physical health. Our review of the literature suggests that these three assumptions underlying the current weightfocused approach are not supported empirically. Complicating this further are the misguided assumptions (4) that weight stigma (i.e., pervasive social devaluation and denigration of higher weight individuals) promotes weight loss and (5) recognizing that one is "overweight" is necessary to spur health-promoting behaviors. We highlight throughout how these assumptions have manifested in current policies and offer suggestions for alternative approaches to health promotion. We conclude by advocating for the broad adoption of a weight-inclusive approach to health policy.There is an obesity crisis in this country. Canadians are paying for it with their wallets-and with their lives.
As the United States addresses obesity, a number of state legislatures are considering laws that require schools to track and report students' body mass index (BMI), a measurement of body weight (weight/height2). This article describes the state level activity on mandatory BMI reporting, offers numerous arguments against this practice, and suggests an alternative approach to promoting health in youth. Mandatory BMI reporting laws place a new and inappropriate responsibility on the schools. Proponents of such laws imply that BMI reporting will have positive outcomes, yet there is virtually no independent research to support this assumption. The authors argue that these laws could do significant harm, including an increased risk for children to develop eating disorder symptoms.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.