Is it time to get rid of the BMI?

The body mass index, or BMI, is enthusiastically adopted in doctors’ rooms as a way to assess health, but its accuracy can be skewed by race, genetics and certain medical conditions. Some Australian experts say we need new tools to assess health – ones that don’t rely so much on weight.Science writer Donna Lu explores the complicated history of the BMI and the ‘panic about body weight’ in public health messaging