Is the BMI total BS?

Is the coveted and dreaded Body Mass Index (BMI), a widely touted measure of how much fat you do or do not have, a load adipose pseudo-science? Boston Globe columnist Alex Beam, who has a BMI of 27.1, believes it is. Beam, who compares his full-figured body to that of Britney Spears, reports on a debate–OK  academic screaming match– on the subject between University of Colorado law professor Paul Campos and long-time BMI proponent Walter Willet of the Harvard School of Public Health. Beam points out that the BMI dates back to the 19th century and, like Campos, he cites a Harvard Alumni Study that found the lowest mortality
rates among those graduates who gained the most weight since graduating. What’s up with that? There are no answers here, but there are some good jokes, and there is a frank quote from Campos: "You couldn’t have a BMI of 21 unless you were in a concentration camp."
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