Abolish the Body Mass Index: A Historical and Current Analysis of the Traumatizing Nature of the BMI

Authors

Franny M. Redpath, Macalester CollegeFollow

Abstract

Statement of Purpose

Rage, change, and liberation; these are the concepts that our papers, collectively, embody. I was enraged. I am enraged. But even through the rage, I am choosing to center this paper around enacting change. Throughout maturation, I have increasingly been deeply affected by how the United States medical system and insurance industry treats patients with a Body Mass Index of over 30, as a young fem person whose doctors deny validity and respect. I have been sent the message that my body is not worthy of the same treatment that is afforded to other, smaller, patients. I have been sent the message that the lifesaving treatment I received, “lacked medical necessity.” I have been sent the message that the act of saving my life, my life that I live at a BMI that categorizes me as “obese,” is not worth living. That is why I am writing this, not just for myself; but for every other person who has been sent the message that they are not worthy of medical treatment.

Author Biography

Franny Redpath is an American Studies major with an Educational Studies minor, and is a senior at Macalester College. They are from Helena, MT, and use they or she pronouns. Their goal is to become an educator, and their research centers around fat studies in relation to the US healthcare system.

Recommended Citation

Redpath, Franny M. (2023) "Abolish the Body Mass Index: A Historical and Current Analysis of the Traumatizing Nature of the BMI," Tapestries: Interwoven voices of local and global identities: Vol. 12: Iss. 1, Article 12.
Available at: https://digitalcommons.macalester.edu/tapestries/vol12/iss1/12

Creative Commons License

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