BMI is broken—and I learned that first-hand. In this episode, I share the Air Force story that changed my view on Body Mass Index (BMI) and explain why a metric from the 1830s (Adolphe Quetelet) still mislabels millions today. BMI can’t tell muscle vs fat, ignores waist distribution, and misses crucial markers like inflammation and cardiometabolic fitness.

What you’ll learn:

Why BMI was created for population averages, not individuals

How BMI misclassifies athletes and muscular people

Better metrics: waist-to-height ratio, body-fat %, A1C, ApoB, blood pressure, resting heart rate, VO₂ max, and CRP

A simple at-home waist-to-height check you can do in 30 seconds

A practical checklist to track real health (not just a number)

If this helped, hit subscribe and share it with a friend who’s frustrated by BMI. 👇 In the chapters, jump straight to the metric you want to use.

00:00:00 - Introduction: Beyond BMI

00:00:10 - Personal Experience with BMI in the Military

00:00:31 - The Flaws of BMI: A Realization

00:00:53 - Historical Context of BMI

00:01:25 - Limitations of BMI as a Health Metric

00:01:46 - Misleading BMI Results for Athletes

00:01:56 - Normal BMI and Metabolic Dysfunction

00:02:07 - Cultural Extremes: Weight Obsession vs. Body Acceptance

00:02:29 - Rising Rates of Metabolic Disease

00:03:01 - Key Health Factors Ignored by BMI

00:03:54 - Better Health Metrics: Waist to Height Ratio

00:04:05 - Better Health Metrics: Body Composition

00:04:47 - Better Health Metrics: Blood Pressure

00:04:57 - Better Health Metrics: Blood Glucose and Insulin

00:05:30 - Better Health Metrics: Strength and Mobility

00:05:51 - Self-Compassion and Lasting Change

00:06:11 - Practical Tips for Health and Wellness

00:06:55 - Final Thoughts: Beyond the BMI Chart

00:07:38 - Metabolic Health Self-Audit Worksheet

00:08:09 - Multivitamins and Essential Nutrients for Women

Here is the link to the Substack article: https://drlauriemarbas.substack.com/p/beyond-bmi-why-your-health-is-more

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