The "Baloney Mass Index": Does the BMI Underestimate Obesity?

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April 4, 2012

body mass index, obesity, daily briefing, reporting on health, health journalismObesity: Americans may be fatter than they think: the BMI (body mass index) measurement may actually underestimate obesity, according to new research, Amanda MacMillan reports for Health.com. What we should be checking instead: our percentage of body fat.

Children's Health: In a recent Field Poll, a majority of Californians cited lack of exercise and unhealthy eating habits as the biggest threat to children's health, Jennifer Garza reports for the Sacramento Bee, while a smaller group cited illegal drug use as their primary kids' health concern.

Health Care Costs: In a bid to improve health care quality and save money, a coalition of influential doctors groups has released lists of treatments and tests that doctors should no longer order automatically, Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar reports for the Associated Press. Among the proscribed items: antibiotics for most sinus infections and early imaging tests for most back pain.

Health Reform: President Barack Obama is in trouble with a federal appellate court judge, who apparently didn't like his remarks earlier this week warning the U.S. Supreme Court against overreaching in reviewing the legality of the Affordable Care Act: the judge, during a hearing in a separate health reform legal case, ordered administration lawyers to submit a letter on the concept of judicial review, Juan A. Lozano reports for the Associated Press.

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