Podcast: BMI useless? Lab-grown meat a ‘pipe dream;’ Did early humans eat each other?

Using body mass index (BMI) to assess a patient’s health may yield misleading results and undermine public trust in medicine, researchers claim. Lab-grown meat has been heralded as solution to agriculture’s environmental footprint, but the technology may not live up to the hype. One anthropologist says he’s uncovered evidence suggesting that early humans ate each other. Did our ancestors really engage in cannibalism?

Join geneticist Kevin Folta and GLP contributor Cameron English on episode 195 of Science Facts and Fallacies as they break down these latest news stories:

Doctors and public health officials have used body mass index (BMI) to assess obesity for decades. In recent years, though, BMI has come under fire as an unreliable and unhelpful tool. Some researchers now argue that this single metric doesn’t tell physicians very much about their patients’ health. Urging overweight individuals to slim down based on BMI may “harm” them emotionally and discourage them from seeking medical care when they need it. Is it time to ditch BMI and replace it with more holistic measurements of health?

Is meat more sustainable if it’s grown in a lab instead of raised on a farm? While there isn’t enough evidence to conclusively answer that question, two other issues could limit the technology’s impact on our dietary habits: cost and consumer acceptance. Producing meat in a laboratory is incredibly expensive at present, and many consumers have said they won’t give up their traditionally produced steaks and burgers even if those foods could be mass produced without animals. Can the nascent “alternative protein” industry overcome these hurdles?

Follow the latest news and policy debates on sustainable agriculture, biomedicine, and other ‘disruptive’ innovations. Subscribe to our newsletter.

Although we consider cannibalism unthinkable today, recent anthropological research has uncovered “evidence of butchery, gnawing, filleting, and cooking on human bones at sites around the world,” science writer Ross Pomeroy recently reported for BigThink. This data invites an uncomfortable question: did early humans eat each other?

Kevin M. Folta is a professor, keynote speaker and podcast host. Follow Professor Folta on Twitter @kevinfolta

Cameron J. English is the director of bio-sciences at the American Council on Science and Health. Visit his website and follow ACSH on Twitter @ACSHorg

{{ reviewsTotal }}{{ options.labels.singularReviewCountLabel }}
{{ reviewsTotal }}{{ options.labels.pluralReviewCountLabel }}
{{ options.labels.newReviewButton }}
{{ userData.canReview.message }}
skin microbiome x final

Infographic: Could gut bacteria help us diagnose and treat diseases? This is on the horizon thanks to CRISPR gene editing

Humans are never alone. Even in a room devoid of other people, they are always in the company of billions ...
glp menu logo outlined

Newsletter Subscription

* indicates required
Email Lists
glp menu logo outlined

Get news on human & agricultural genetics and biotechnology delivered to your inbox.