Seventeen Magazine Considers it Healthy to be Underweight

(Above: A screencap of the BMI calculator Seventeen included on their website)


According to Seventeen Magazine, it's okay to be underweight! Overweight, however, simply will not do. It seems that Seventeen may have since removed the BMI calculator from their website, which formerly supported that clinically underweight  BMIs are healthy. An online petition was made by a concerned and angry consumer who demanding that Seventeen revise the calculator so that it would accurately represent healthy weights instead of supporting low weights, which may be products of eating disorders and malnutrition. Seventeen has made some attempts to promote body positivity and acceptance in their health section, though actions such as the BMI calculator controversy put the statements of positivity into question. How can Seventeen both support and oppose health weights and body acceptance? Well, it can't. I feel that progress may still be happening, however, as the calculator can no longer be located on the website. I want to re-instate the importance of speaking up--this is how change happens!