The BMI shtick is invalid, but racism is not the reason. Apparently it was developed for late 19th Century Belgian soldiers. Need I point out that Germans, Italians, blacks, Slavs, Scandinavians, Han Chinese, yada, yada, yada have very different ethnic heritages from Belgians? Need I point out that nutrition - contrary to food faddists' claims - and health/hygiene have improved considerable in the past century and a half?