8th grader refused to calculate her BMI instead writes powerful essay

An 8th grader from Indiana was asked to calculate her BMI for class, but she refused, instead firing back with a powerful essay about body image and acceptance.

Self reports that the letter was posted online by a family friend and is now going viral.

She begins by explaining that your BMI, or body mass index, is an outdated measure of health calculated by dividing your height by your weight. This number purports to represent where on the scale of “normal” weight you fall.

However, there is no one normal weight, and the whole concept of BMI in general has some major flaws. “It’s a measure that SHOULD NOT be used in a school setting,” she writes. “Where students are already self conscious and lacking confidence in their unique bodies.”

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She goes on to explain that she was one of those students made to feel lesser because she didn’t fit a standard height and weight. “At the beginning of the year, I started having very bad thoughts when my body was brought into a conversation,” she writes. So, she went to a doctor, who told her that she was active and healthy, even though she weighed more than the average middle schooler.

“I’m just beginning to love my body, like I should,” she continues.

In conclusion she wrote “My BMI is none of your concern because my body and BMI are perfect and beautiful just the way they are.”

You go girl!

Share your comments below.

Image via Shutterstock

18 Comments

- - mom101628 said
  - 15 Sep 2016
    9:34 pm
Love her answer and hope she continues to stick to her guns while she finishs growing up.

- - mom94125 said
  - 02 Sep 2016
    4:37 pm
yes that mode of calculating bmi is so out of date anyway and a better way apparently, is needed

- - Melissa89 said
  - 29 Jul 2016
    11:40 am
Aw what a touching story. What are we teaching the next generation about body love when little ones are made to worry about their BMI?

- - mom134803 said
  - 05 Jun 2016
    3:19 am
Great insight for such young girl. Sadly she only got this insight because she was made to feel lesser before because she didn’t fit a standard height and weigh and went to see a doctor. At this time & age kids are made aware of things at such young age… that isn’t healthy. I agree with this girl that her BMI is none of the schools business !!

- - mom81879 said
  - 23 Apr 2016
    9:02 pm
Good for her! What an intelligent well balanced young girl. I think she’ll go far

- - mom181507 said
  - 19 Apr 2016
    9:00 am
It is a sad indictment on our society that this child was compelled to write this.

- - mom91861 said
  - 17 Apr 2016
    6:20 pm
what a strong woman she already is.

- - mom94898 said
  - 15 Apr 2016
    9:45 pm
What a great essay from such a mature young lady, – well done -. I don’t know why any school needs to know any childs BMI & definitely shouldn’t ask a child what they thought their BMI was. If they really think there maybe some health issues with a child they should talk to the parents/guardians, otherwise they should mind their own busines.

- - cherz said
  - 09 Apr 2016
    8:16 pm
Wow amazing..you go girl..well done.
BMI does have flaws and I love your research.

- - BellaB said
  - 09 Apr 2016
    4:58 pm
It’s a useful starting point for conversations with kids – but just a starting point.

- - Threelos said
  - 08 Apr 2016
    8:18 pm
Wow, all power to this fabulous girl! So wonderful to see confident girls standing up to the relentless pressure placed on all women and girls.

- - VernaB said
  - 06 Apr 2016
    3:58 pm
Our weight shouldn’t be defined by numbers.

- - Lizbef said
  - 06 Apr 2016
    2:42 pm
Good on her. I so however have mixed feelings about how it should be taught at schools. I’m guessing it was in a hpe class which was part of the curriculum when I was at school

- - mom90758 said
  - 06 Apr 2016
    2:25 pm
Such an amazing girl. I like her answer!

- - youngoldlady said
  - 06 Apr 2016
    12:44 am
As far as I am concerned she answered the question and the school has no right to ask such a thing. As BMI is no outdated and can lead to some thinking they are not what they should be.

- - Nas01 said
  - 05 Apr 2016
    9:00 pm
Very powerful and its people like this who should be setting examples for young people not unhealthy supermodels.

- - june11 said
  - 05 Apr 2016
    5:52 pm
Well done to her for pointing out such important facts. It can be miscalculated anyway. Some will starve themselves to lose weight and become addicted to that way of life not realising that they can damaging vital organs. A lady I worked with was tall and really slim. She was told her BMI was borderline between overweight and obese. Had she lost anywhere near as much weight as she was advised to she would have been able to see her ribs quite easily.

- - Mum to one said
  - 05 Apr 2016
    3:52 pm
Yes! You said it right!
You go girl!