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Review BMI use in NHS care and school health assessments

Submitted by Clare Murray on Sunday 23rd November 2025

Published on Monday 22nd December 2025

Current status: Open

Open until: Monday 22nd June 2026

Current Signatures: 56
(count is updated approximately hourly)

Relevant Departments

Tagged with

21st Century ~ Access ~ Assigned ~ Bodies ~ Children ~ Considered ~ Essential ~ Ethnicity ~ growth ~ NHS ~ NHS care ~ patterns ~ Reviewed ~ Schools ~ stigma ~ Viewing ~ Wellbeing

Petition Action

Review BMI use in NHS care and school health assessments

Petition Details

We ask the Government to undertake a review of the suitability of using BMI in NHS care and school health assessments, with a view to ensuring that NHS and educational health practices are fit for the 21st century and align with modern, evidence-based tools that truly support wellbeing.

Additional Information

BMI is considered by many to be an outdated, inaccurate measure that does not reflect individual health or account for differences in age, ethnicity, disability, or body composition. Its use increases stigma, and can cause harm to children and adults.

It continues to influence access to surgeries, fertility services, pain management, and other essential treatments.

In schools, children are assigned a BMI category yet childhood growth patterns are highly individual, making BMI inappropriate for use with children.


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216.73.216.219 Thu, 04 Jun 2026 04:50:53 +0100