20 Feb 2014 As of 2010, approximately 70% of Americans were either overweight or obese as defined by their Body Mass Index or BMI. Obesity related health issues are significant because they increase health care costs, decrease productivity and result in premature death. Discussing BMI invokes a great deal of passion because it creates undesirable classifications for some (overweight and obese). As accurate as the BMI label is for many, no one wants to be designated as unhealthy, overweight or obese, especially when their own lifestyle choices have lead to those classifications. Rather than accept the truth and change, many simply point to flaws in BMI (even flaws that are completely irrelevant for their own circumstances) making it much easier to justify unhealthy actions and dismiss the negative BMI classification. It's much easier to criticize than change unhealthy habits.
