BMI Tests: Bogus or the Real Thing?
By: Import User
Updated: January 7, 2009
Parents in Arkadelphia are the first in the nation to receive their kids` Body Mass Index reports through a state-sponsored program.
Thanks to a new state law, the rest of the state`s schools are on their way, but some critics of BMI say the test is a waste of time and taxpayers` money.
They say BMI, which is designed to measure physical fitness based on a person`s height and weight, is inaccurate and misleading. Measuring body fat percentages, they say, would be more effective.
Dr. Joe Thompson, who heads the Arkansas Center for Health Improvement, says while BMI isn`t perfect it`s definitely an important first step. He says parents and students should learn more about BMI and use the reports as a starting point for discussions and research about healthy lifestyles.
