I missed out on anorexia treatment because of BMI guidelines
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leaving me in worst state I’ve ever been’
BMI is used to determine treatment for eating disorders, and can be a gatekeeping tool for year-long waiting lists for vital care
By Jasmine Andersson
Two women who missed out on vital care for eating disorders because of BMI restrictions are calling for the metric to be scrapped for good.
They are backing fresh calls by the Women and Equalities Committee to drop the index as it is a ‘dangerous’ tool that ‘flies in the face of science’ and exacerbates issues with body image and weight shaming.
For Cara and Joss, their BMI was used to determine whether they qualified for anorexia treatment. NICE advises using the metric ‘with caution’, but both women have found it is often relied upon to combat year-long waiting lists.
Cara Lisette, 30, was told she didn’t meet the BMI range for treatment when she approached her GP about struggling with a potential relapse at the beginning of 2019. Cara had a history of anorexia, and she was first diagnosed a...
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