Up First from NPR Economic Worries, Redistricting Battles, Reconsidering BMI
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Aug 2, 2025 
Will Stone, an NPR health correspondent, dives into pressing economic and health topics. He discusses disappointing job growth and how immigration and tariffs are impacting the economy. The conversation shifts to the contentious issue of redistricting, highlighting its political implications in states like Texas and California. Stone also critiques the reliability of Body Mass Index (BMI) as a health metric, advocating for alternatives like Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis to provide a more accurate assessment of health risks.
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U.S. Economy Shows Distress
- U.S. economic growth and job creation have slowed down notably this year, reflecting weaker demand.
- Tariffs raise government revenue but hurt factory orders, job growth, and push consumer prices up.
Redistricting Sparks Political Battles
- Republican-led states like Texas plan to redraw congressional districts to gain seats, prompting Democratic states to consider similar moves.
- California's independent redistricting commission complicates efforts to gerrymander compared to Texas.
Problems with BMI as Health Measure
- BMI oversimplifies body fat measurement and can misclassify people’s health risk.
- Direct body fat measures predict mortality risk better and might someday replace BMI in clinical use.