Rethinking Health Care for Plus-Sized Individuals

Body weight often gets conflated with overall health, and the BMI — body mass index — has helped solidify that belief. But in recent years, the measurement has come under increased criticism. Some doctors have started using a new measurement of health called the body roundness index, or BRI.

But does BRI address the issues so many have with the BMI? And how do these measurements that tie weight and overall health together impact the experiences of fat people navigating the Canadian healthcare system?

Dr. Kelsey Ioannoni is a critical health sociologist and fat studies scholar. She studies weight based politics and discrimination. Dr. Ioannoni joins the show to explain the benefits and drawbacks of BRI, and if it could change people’s experiences in the doctor’s office.

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