Yale threatened to expel student for having a low BMI...

I don't really think it was that bad for health services to call her back to talk about her weight. They are MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS before they are university employees. They saw something concerning and followed up on it. What is sad about this story is the absolute negligence of the staff, by not looking at her medical history or doing anything else to test her health.

BMI isn't perfect but it isn't as bad as people make it out to be. However, it is a well established fact that for Asians, BMI standards actually tend to OVERestimate how heavy "healthy" is. So this really shouldn't have happened. Interestingly, there is no race for which BMI tends to underestimate healthy weights.

Untrue. Evidence suggests that people of African descent do in fact naturally skew 'higher' (just as Asians skew 'lower') in BMI terms.

This isn't to say that the typical overweight person of African descent isn't actually overweight, before anyone gets their panties in a twist. But I will say I'm at the very top of what the healthy BMI range (Very top. Like less that .3 away from overweight).

I'm really tired of the public (and, apparently, now corporate companies and Yale) trying to regulate women's bodies. Period. Whether she actually looks ok is irrelevant. I don't want to live in a world where some other person or entity is worried about my health or body.

I definitely agree! I don't know if it sounds mean or not, but I feel like everyone should worry about themselves. I think that's part of the problem in today's society. We're so concerned with what everyone else is doing. Why don't we all just focus on "doing us." We need to do what makes us happy and healthy. If others actions aren't affecting you, then why bother making a big deal out of them?

I don't really think it was that bad for health services to call her back to talk about her weight. They are MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS before they are university employees. They saw something concerning and followed up on it. What is sad about this story is the absolute negligence of the staff, by not looking at her medical history or doing anything else to test her health.

BMI isn't perfect but it isn't as bad as people make it out to be. However, it is a well established fact that for Asians, BMI standards actually tend to OVERestimate how heavy "healthy" is. So this really shouldn't have happened. Interestingly, there is no race for which BMI tends to underestimate healthy weights.

not true.

Neanderthals had BMIs in the overweight to obese range (based on archaeological samples). So not just a race of humans an entire species of humans. And as it's scientifically proven that there are neanderthal genes in modern populations, some modern people, regardless of ethnic group, may be larger framed and tend to be heavy on BMI due to inheriting these specific neanderthal genes.

Also, Inuit people, while not on average as large framed as neanderthals, are naturally heavy for their height and will have higher BMIs while still being healthy, for the same basic reason as neanderthals did - because being shorter and larger framed gives you an evolutionary advantage in a cold climate. So there's one modern group that BMI charts tend to underestimate healthy weights - Inuit. Ditto other modern people from very cold climates. neanderthals had the most extreme version of this build, mostly because they had to survive in extreme cold with only had middle palaeolithic technology.

interestingly, i've met quite a few short, large framed Filipino people, I'm guessing they either come from mountainous regions (hence cold-adapted body proportions) or they have Denisovan DNA (another ancient people similar to Neanderthals, while their body proportions are not known, I'm guessing cold adapted based on them coming from Siberia and being genetically more closely related to neanderthals than any other known group of humans)

In fact having studied anthropology I can tell you that humans come in a whole range of different heights and frame sizes, and that the general trend is from cold-adapted (short, large-framed) to tropical adapted (tall, small framed) with every variation in between, but in general larger frame sizes being found in colder places (including tall and large framed like Vikings/Scandinavian people) and small framed people being found in warmer parts of the world, including short and small framed (many East Asians, though short and large framed people are also found among East Asians so you need to be careful telling East Asians they should measure low on BMI charts.

Larger framed people will have higher BMIs and smaller framed people will have lower BMIs. And contrary to popular belief, frame size does not correlate with height.

Blanket statements about ethnic groups are not always helpful. Binary is from the same ethnic group as me, yet her body type/frame size is polar opposite to mine. Seems I got neanderthal DNA and she didn't. I'm not even going to say she got cro-magnon DNA because the cro-magnons were large framed compared to most modern Homo sapiens, albeit that they were significantly smaller framed than neanderthals. Maybe she got a more recent mutation that arose in post-agricultural populations because the agricultural revolution seems to have led to human frame size getting smaller (and Homo sapiens was already the smallest framed of all species of human).

Anyway, to sum up, yes there absolutely are ethnic groups that tend to be on the heavy side of BMI, to the point of BMI categorising them as overweight or obese when their body fat percentage is healthy, and additionally there's a huge amount of within-group variation that leads to the possibility of individuals of any ethnic group having a large enough frame for BMI to classify them as "overweight" when they're not. And for individuals, regardless of ethnicity, to have a small enough frame for BMI to classify them as "underweight" when they're not.

What? My uni never checked my "health record", weighed me, requested a doctor would run a test on me, or anything of the sort. How is it their business?

The student had previously visited student health as a result of finding a breast lump. She was then called back in due to her low BMI being flagged up. Now I'm not saying its right that they used this as a 'one size fits all measurememt'.

However, there is a percentage of college students who do develop ED whilst attending. These are generally young adults who are away from family/peers who might be more aware of if the person has developed disordered behaviours. So the other side of the story is if the college hadn't flagged this concern up would they then have failed their duty of care?.

If weight is the criteria, how often are they failing at their "duty of care" by not threatening forced medical leave on overweight and obese students? After all far more people fall victim to disease and distress in relation to obesity in this nation than malnourishment and undernourishment.

Where is all this supposed concern for the fat students?

I can't post the link from my mobile. But actually Lincoln college in Pennsylvania seem to do just that. They impose a program where students with a BMI over 30 have to attend mandatory fitness sessions 3x a week. Which also isn't right. Although it does demonstrate its not just students classed as being on a low weight spectrum who are being singled out.

I think the main issue is they are implementing the BMI standard as the bar for 'health' as they see it.

I'm surprised she wasn't smart enough to just keep adding weight to her pockets when she went for her weekly weigh-ins, because I've never been to a doctor's appointment where they forced you to take off clothes before stepping on their scale. (They've even weighed me with a coat and boots on at some places.)

She shouldn't have to add weights, simply because of the ridiculousness of the situation.

+1

I think a lot of people have confused the real issue here - it's not that Yale was concerned about her weight or that they were trying to make someone who wasn't average 'normal'; it wasn't some kind of discrimination or crazy desire to make everyone the same. She'd visited the health center and they called her back in because her weight was concerning to them. The main reason this is ridiculous is that they don't seem to have looked into the idea that she may be perfectly healthy at that weight, which is kind of insane - doctors should know that not everyone's body is going to weigh the same at a healthy size.

I assume however that her BMI/weight was so low for her size that it was VERY concerning for them if they were talking about imposed medical leave. I would assume overweight students aren't often faced with this because for it to be hugely alarming you have to VERY fat, whereas it's quite easy for skinny people to become VERY skinny (the body seems to be able to handle being overweight a lot easier than underweight in terms of pounds gained / pounds lost). I don't blame Yale at all for having her health in mind - we have a huge problem in society with college aged people suffering from health issues (particularly mental health issues) that go untreated because either no one notices or if they do, they don't do anything. I think Yale's doctors were totally in the right to try and correct what they saw as a serious health issue; where they went wrong was in not actually verifying that there WAS a health issue.

http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2009/11/pennsylvania_college_makes_bmi.html

Not Yale. But students on the high end of the BMI scale do get flagged up in colleges too.

"Duty of care"?? We are talking about an adult here, not a minor. I find that disturbingly intrusive.

Btw, at her age I weighed 103 lbs at 5'9. A couple of years later, after a prolonged period of extreme stress, I actually dropped to 97 lbs for a while. I'm not Asian but I do have a very small frame... long thin bones. Fortunately my university only cared about my academic standing. And my tuition payments, lol.

"Duty of care"?? We are talking about an adult here, not a minor. I find that disturbingly intrusive.

Btw, at her age I weighed 103 lbs at 5'9. A couple of years later, after a prolonged period of extreme stress, I actually dropped to 97 lbs for a while. I'm not Asian but I do have a very small frame... long thin bones. Fortunately my university only cared about my academic standing. And my tuition payments, lol.

Most institutions have a policy relating to a "duty of care". Its due to the fact that they act 'in loco parentis' - This is used to cover a very broad framework but it is in place to essentially make sure the young persons best interests are served, and that their; physical, psychological, and general well being needs are met.

Technically a "duty of care" is usually also applied by most public of services in relation to the general public. Regardless of the persons age Ex. If the police picked up an intoxicated person in the street. They would have to ensure that they were placed in a place of safety so as not to cause harm to themselves or others. It's all pretty standard.

With this young lady, she was always low on the BMI, she ate a lot and did not diet or restrict, She had no drop in weight or behavior change, she did not look unhealthy or have unhealthy tests or health problems, in fact she was there because of her diligence to her health.

But, I understand why an evaluation was in order. The reason why a college is more likely to follow up on an underweight person is because while being significantly overweight can lead to health problems later on and a shortened life (if allowed to go on for a long time), being underweight by 10 pounds could lead to serious and immediate health problems for some people, including irreversible health problems such as osteoporosis. Being significantly underweight could cause a heart attack. A person could pass out, hit their head, and be left unattended. Lots of immediate and serious consequences. There is definitely a grayer area for people that are overweight and more of a risk of causing an outrage of discrimination or instilling an unhealthy body image.

And, I think it is fine for this woman to open up this conversation by speaking about it. Because on the one hand people with disordered eating and health problems need to be treated. But, also people can over react, misdiagnose, and behave harmfully towards people. It's ridiculous and it happens.

If I grew up in today's schools, my parents would probably have child services after them. my brother and I were very thin. I was a preemie, and always underweight growing up, my bones showed a lot. but my doctor was not concerned because I was where I needed to be. as an adult, I am 4ft 10. with small bones. only in the last 15 years have I been at a unhealthy weight which i am working on getting back to where my doctor said I should be, which is 99, i think 105 will be good for me.. yet i know once i get there, people will assume i am too thin, even though that's my ideal weight due to my frame.

But, when people commit suicide at a college or die from something people will get after the college. When I was in college there was a school psychologist. Everyone knew who she was, she was around a lot, she sometimes helped teach classes that she could contribute to, she went to events. Her main focus was to make sure everyone was getting any help they needed to make sure they did well in school and finished school. To be aware of mental health issues that can become problematic when young people are off to college and not to exacerbate it..

Most institutions have a policy relating to a "duty of care". Its due to the fact that they act 'in loco parentis' - This is used to cover a very broad framework but it is in place to essentially make sure the young persons best interests are served, and that their; physical, psychological, and general well being needs are met.

Technically a "duty of care" is usually also applied by most public of services in relation to the general public. Regardless of the persons age Ex. If the police picked up an intoxicated person in the street. They would have to ensure that they were placed in a place of safety so as not to cause harm to themselves or others. It's all pretty standard.

In my country at least (I'm not in the US), there is no parental responsibility for someone age 18 or older, therefore no loco parentis responsibility.

Yes we have protective laws that come into play when a person is deemed to be a danger to themselves but the threshold is pretty high. A presumption of eating disorder wouldn't make the cut.

I don't think it's too far off the mark for a place that accepts peoples children, sometimes away from home for the first time in their lives to protect their health.

This seems to have been looked into as a health issue for her safety not as a form or intent of discrimination. The threat appears to have been "leave" not "expulsion" or the like. Presumably this would be for the purpose of getting one's weight/health up to par if deemed too low after looking into it.

While I applaud this girl's standing up for herself and proving that it's her families way to be this size and that she is in good health, I do not think the university needs to be demonized for having standards that try to protect the health of it's students.

I concur...and there's a huge difference between expulsion and medical leave.

In recent years, it has been stated that some children are prone to obesity at a very young age. In my opinion, this isn't any different than potential underweight children being prone to health illness. If Yale wants to institute a wellness program for all of the students then fine but they shouldn't be picking and choosing who should receive help especially when they don't know all of the students' medical histories. Without knowing the students' full medical background then they can't hide behind some notion that it will take the overweight students longer to develop health issues.

No, my point was that a severely underweight student could drop dead right then and there. A person that is ten pounds overweight is not going to have a serious health consequence.

And I am also small framed and weigh 100 pounds, so I also understand the side of how people can over react. But, there was also a time in high school when I weighed 88 pounds (with my clothes on) and I experienced the immediate health consequences of that, so I understand that side of it as well. My body was beginning to not function, I was not able to function, I was blacking out and falling out of the shower from how low my blood pressure was. My knees were black and blue and purple. I had trouble breathing. I had severe anemia. I hadn't had a period for 6 months.