BMI? Should we use it... if not what?

This is nothing to do with political policy

Good Question.
You can't mange what you can't measure.
I like BAI (a for adiposity) as it indicates I'm healthy, Whilst BMI suggests I'm overweight.
But I really think all these calculations are flawed.
Maybe a treadmill test coupled with a deadlift ability would show you who was truly healthy combined with a weight and height measurement.
Of course there is a relationship of obesity and health but it cant be linear.
So you could try the CBC 'Complete Blood Count Test'
but then you still need to interpret the information.
Also if you change from the BMI I guess you will not have so good international comparisons to use.

It's useless. People who are just really muscular are considered obese by the scale.

@reidalexanderwicks But it's acccurate. The problem is that people don't know what it measures.

Body mass is correlated well with heart disease. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Clarke_Duncan was a body-builder with a high BMI, and died of heart problems at age 54, otherwise healthy and active.

Fat or muscle doesn't change the load on the heart much, and it's the load on the heart that ends up killing it. And BMI measures the heart load better than body fat percentage or other numbers people prefer to use.

Body building for bulk mass is unhealthy, and being labeled "obese" is improper, as it is linked to excess body fat, but it's correct in so far as it correlates with untimely heart-related death.

Hey Guys, that whole obesity discussion is an insult to our indigenous/pacific culture and heritage.Don't get fooled by government funded research which want's to please Hollywood's idea of how we should look like and live. Stop that discussion immediately,please.

Then @haraldgerhardt
Can you explain this statement from the Maori Party website

“The New Zealand Medical Association has urged all New Zealanders to recognise obesity as a public health crisis. We are looking carefully at their ten recommendations as we refine our ongoing policy in this area, and greatly appreciate the expertise they have brought to this debate,” says Te Ururoa Flavell.

Every serious party has health policies and a major concern is obesity. The concern here is that we must correctly measure obesity, to know if the policies are having the best effect.
All ethnicities in NZ are effected by this and some evidence suggests that PI and Maori ethnicity is at the top of the list. Thus they would be the first to benefit.
The alternative is to consider it acceptable for children to die of diabetes and heart conditions before they are 21, as its the politically correct approach.

In some pacific islands, being slightly fuller in size is seen as a positive thing.

Nothing wrong with promoting a healthy lifestyle. Don't bring children in this argument! For the sake of healthy outcome of every children ,would you consider "designer baby's" as an option?. That would solve the problem,just tweek the genomes a bit and all is good?Unfortunately that might be only an option for wealthy white middle class people. I think that as a party we don't need to have a policy for everything in place and we don't need to invent the wheel again and again. Enough Nanny State already. At the end of the day we all have to die,that we can't change so lets focus on the things we can change and don't loose our self in meaningless arguments.

Hey Collin, just a reminder. The Maori party and their war on Tobacco want do any good to our constituency. If their were really serious about the health and well being of smokers than they would have come up with something sense able. Just a thought: Make organic tobacco cheaper ( 1 pack of cigarettes for one hour min wage,like in Europe) ), grow it in NZ, create thousands of jobs for Maoris and Pakeha and you will see a dramatic increase of the overall health of smokers and that's what it was all about,wasn't it? All the Maori party has achieved in that respect is providing another revenue stream for gangs and taking money out of poor peoples pockets. If you not smart enough to earn enough money we'll punish you by taking away all choices in regard to your lifestyle.I did not sign up for that attitude.

@haraldgerhardt
I suspect the original poster @andrewlepine Is wanting to know is BMI the best way of measuring Obesity in relation to health problems, So he can write this into the IP health Policy.
If it is not the best way of measuring Obesity, The health efforts are ineffective.
And yes I will bring children into it, As the major reason I joined the Internet Party is so my mokopuna will have a better future.
Also the reason health policies should be focused on children is that it is strategic to the countries future similar to education.