With her trademark red lipstick and a killer right arm that easily sweeps her opponents out of her way, US women's rugby center Ilona Maher ran Team USA toward its first bronze this week at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.
But her reaction to hecklers who call her masculine and criticize her weight as "obese" is winning additional accolades from fans and critics alike.
"I used to get those comments all the time, people being mean or calling me manly or whatnot," she told CNN. "But now I have 2 million friends who will come after you and take you down if you try and say anything mean to me."
Before the Olympics began, Maher responded to one critic who commented, "I bet that person has a 30 BMI," which stands for body mass index, a controversial measurement the medical profession uses to characterize weight.
"I think you were trying to roast me, but this is actually fact — I do have a BMI of 30. Well, 29.3 (to be) more exact," she posted in mid-July on TikTok.
"I am considered overweight. But alas, I'm going to the Olympics, and you're not."
Maher has posted poignant videos about the pain that those hateful, often anonymous, comments accusing her of being overweight or on steroids can cause.
"As you can probably tell, I've been crying a little bit," she posted in December 2022.
"They think women should be fragile and petite and quiet and meek, but that's not the case," she said. "Women can be strong, and they can have broad shoulders, and they can take up space, and they can be big. I think I'm getting emotional because I feel very passionate about this. Don't let anybody try to define or dictate how you feel about yourself. You get to decide that."
As currently defined, a BMI between 18.5 and 24.9 is a healthy weight, between 25 and 29.5 is overweight, between 30 and 34.9 is obese, between 35 and 39.5 is class 2 obesity, and anything more than 40 is "severe" or class 3 obesity, which used to be called morbid obesity. People are considered underweight if their BMI is lower than 18.5.
Critics say the term BMI has become a societal judgment by lumping individuals into arbitrary categories that perpetuate misconceptions about body weight. Even with all the backlash against "fat-shaming," weight stigma against the seriously overweight or those who have obesity remains deep-rooted, according to research.
A BMI measurement can be flat wrong in some cases, Thomas Wadden, a professor of psychology at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, told CNN in an earlier interview.
"Consider a young woman who is 5 feet 5 inches and 150 pounds. She would be on the cusp of being overweight with a BMI of 25," said Wadden, former director of Perelman's Center for Weight and Eating Disorders.
"But she may be incredibly muscular, and she may have most of her weight in her lower body, where it's not as damaging to her health as weight in the upper body," he said. "She could easily say, 'I am in perfectly good health, so just take your BMI of 25 and shove it.'"
That's exactly the scenario facing Maher. She posted about her BMI — and how little it reveals — in the mid-July TikTok.
"I'm 5 (feet) 10 (inches) and 200 pounds. And I have about — and this is an estimate — but about 170 pounds of lean mass on me," she said. "That BMI doesn't really tell you what I can do … how fit I am. It's just a couple of numbers put together, doesn't tell you how much muscle I have or anything like that."
BMI measurements can overestimate body fat in athletes and people with a muscular build or a larger body frame. Conversely, BMI can underestimate body fat in older adults and anyone who has lost muscle, according to the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health in Boston.
There is a movement in the medical profession to move away from crude BMI measurements in clinical practice. In June 2023, the American Medical Association adopted a new policy suggesting other measurements, such as waist circumference, measurements of visceral fat, body composition, and genetic and metabolic factors, be used along with BMI to determine health risks.
"BMI is based primarily on data collected from previous generations of non-Hispanic white populations," the AMA wrote. And while it's "significantly correlated with the amount of fat mass in the general population," the association said, it "loses predictability when applied on the individual level."
The FBI said Donald Trump was the target of “what appears to be an attempted assassination” at his golf club in West Palm Beach, Fla., on Sunday.
B.C. will be opening “highly secure facilities” for people with addiction and mental health issues in the province, officials said Sunday.
The stars and co-creators of CBC's 'Schitt's Creek' take the reins as several Canadians compete for trophies, including D'Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai and Martin Short.
Abuse of Canada’s temporary foreign worker program has left a group of carpenters from Jamaica 'destitute' after an Ottawa company refused to pay them for nearly half a year of work.
Travellers, business groups and politicians expressed fervent relief on Sunday after Air Canada and the union representing thousands of its pilots negotiated a new labour deal and averted a disruptive, countrywide shutdown.
Quebec tabled a bill on Thursday that would regulate how merchants determine suggested tips, forcing businesses to calculate them based on the price before tax. Restaurant staff and management are divided on the policy.
Once a favoured holiday destination for Queen Victoria, and reputedly described in one of the greatest works of Italian literature, the Villa Palmieri is steeped in history and could now be yours – if you have more than €50 million (US$55 million) lying around.
The Liberals have no intention of using procedural tactics to delay the Conservatives' promised non-confidence motion, and they have no plans to prorogue Parliament to hold onto power, according to Government House Leader Karina Gould.
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre signaled the Liberals' carbon price and the economy will remain his prime target when Parliament resumes this week.
Two people are dead after being rescued from a burning Atlantic Ave. building early Saturday morning. Winnipeg police say the fire was suspicious and the homicide unit has taken over the investigation.
Travellers, business groups and politicians expressed fervent relief on Sunday after Air Canada and the union representing thousands of its pilots negotiated a new labour deal and averted a disruptive, countrywide shutdown.
B.C. will be opening “highly secure facilities” for people with addiction and mental health issues in the province, officials said Sunday.
Abuse of Canada’s temporary foreign worker program has left a group of carpenters from Jamaica 'destitute' after an Ottawa company refused to pay them for nearly half a year of work.
Lethbridge police have located and arrested a man wanted on a number of outstanding warrants.
In recent years, hundreds of wolves, bears, coyotes and other animals have been killed under Quebec government programs to help the caribou survive. However, the Environment Ministry does not know whether these controversial measures aimed at controlling cervid predation are effective.
The U.S. State Department has rejected claims of CIA involvement in an alleged plot to kill Venezuela's leader Nicolas Maduro, after Venezuelan authorities said they had arrested six foreigners, including a U.S. Navy SEAL.
The FBI said Donald Trump was the target of “what appears to be an attempted assassination” at his golf club in West Palm Beach, Fla., on Sunday.
Once a favoured holiday destination for Queen Victoria, and reputedly described in one of the greatest works of Italian literature, the Villa Palmieri is steeped in history and could now be yours – if you have more than €50 million (US$55 million) lying around.
Another night of torrential rains pounding Central Europe forced massive evacuations in the hardest hit areas in the Czech Republic, where floods reached extreme levels on Sunday.
Republican vice-presidential candidate JD Vance did not back away on Sunday from the false claims he and Donald Trump have been making that Haitians in an Ohio community are abducting and eating pets, even as the state's GOP governor and other officials insist there is no evidence of such behavior.
As Prince Harry turns 40 on Sunday, royal commentator Afua Hagan charts the prince's path which has been defined by significant milestones and challenges from his time at Kensington Palace to his current life in his California mansion.
The federal government is expanding a measure that bans tens of thousands of Iranian officials from entering Canada.
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre signaled the Liberals' carbon price and the economy will remain his prime target when Parliament resumes this week.
The Liberals have no intention of using procedural tactics to delay the Conservatives' promised non-confidence motion, and they have no plans to prorogue Parliament to hold onto power, according to Government House Leader Karina Gould.
Acupuncture is a traditional Chinese technique that has been used for hundreds of years to treat a wide variety of conditions, according to an Ottawa expert.
As we head into another respiratory illness season, here’s a look at where Ontario stands when it comes to COVID-19 and what you need to know.
The experience of 23-year-old Muskoka, Ont., resident Robyn Penniall, who recently had a stroke, comes as concerns are being raised about the future of health care in her community.
A billionaire spacewalker returned to Earth with his crew on Sunday, ending a five-day trip that lifted them higher than anyone has traveled since NASA's moonwalkers.
Rapa Nui, also known as Easter Island, never experienced a ruinous population collapse, according to an analysis of ancient DNA from 15 former inhabitants of the remote island in the Pacific Ocean.
Stuck-in-space astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams said Friday they appreciated all the prayers and well wishes from strangers back home.
Taylor Swift capped a headline-grabbing week that included her endorsement of Kamala Harris for president and seven trophies from the MTV Video Music Awards by showing up at Arrowhead Stadium to watch the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday.
Being on a red carpet is a dream for most. For Neil Diamond and Joanne Robertson, it has become a reality with the premiere of their film: So Surreal: Behind The Masks.
The stars and co-creators of CBC's 'Schitt's Creek' take the reins as several Canadians compete for trophies, including D'Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai and Martin Short.
Economists anticipate that Canada's annual inflation rate in August fell to its lowest level since March 2021.
When it comes to plant-based alternatives, Canadians have never had so many options — and nowhere is that choice more abundantly clear than in the milk section of the dairy aisle.
China’s economy softened in August, extending a slowdown in industrial activity and real estate prices as Beijing faces pressure to ramp up spending to stimulate demand.
If you have beef with your neighbour and you feel it's gone too far, what should you do? A personal injury lawyer has some advice.
Quebec tabled a bill on Thursday that would regulate how merchants determine suggested tips, forcing businesses to calculate them based on the price before tax. Restaurant staff and management are divided on the policy.
Over the past 20 years, injuries related to dog walking have been on the rise among adults and children in the U.S., according to Johns Hopkins University researchers. Fractures, sprains and head trauma are among the most common.
Jose Berrios allowed two hits over seven innings to win a seventh straight start and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. registered his 500th career RBI as the Toronto Blue Jays defeated the St. Louis Cardinals 7-2 on Saturday.
The NCAA has given full approval for Gallaudet’s football team to use a helmet designed for players who are deaf or hard of hearing for the remainder of the season.
Taylor Swift capped a headline-grabbing week that included her endorsement of Kamala Harris for president and seven trophies from the MTV Video Music Awards by showing up at Arrowhead Stadium to watch the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday.
Stellantis’ Windsor Assembly Plant has given a first look at the new Dodge Chargers coming off the line. It is preparing for the upcoming Dodge Charger Daytona production launch.
Vehicles used to come with a "full-sized" spare tire, but about 30 years ago, auto manufacturers moved to a much lighter, smaller tire, sometimes called a "donut spare." But now, depending on the car you have, it may not have any spare at all.
Hyundai and General Motors have agreed to look for ways to work together on developing new vehicles, supply chains and technologies in an effort to cut costs and move more quickly.
Two sisters have finally been reunited with a plane their father built 90 years ago, that is also considered an important part of Canadian aviation history.
A Facebook post has sparked a debate in Gimli about whether to make a cosmetic change to its iconic statue.
A Pokémon card shop in Richmond is coming off a record-setting month, highlighted by a customer opening a pack to discover one of the most sought-after cards in the world.
Abandoned homes line the streets of Lauder, a town that's now a ghost of what it once was. Yet inside, a small community is thriving.
Perhaps Saskatchewan's most famous encounter with Unidentified Aerial Phenomenon (UAP/UFO) – "The Langenburg Event" is now being immortalized in the form of a collector's coin.
It's been 420 days since 22-year-old Abbey Bickell was killed in a car crash in Burnaby, a stretch full of heartbreak for her family as they not only grieved her death, but anxiously waited for progress in the police investigation. Wednesday, they finally got some good news.
A Simcoe, Ont. woman has been charged with assault with a weapon after spraying her neighbour with a water gun.
The dream of a life on water has drowned in a sea of sadness for a group of Chatham-Kent, Ont. residents who paid a Wallaceburg-based company for a floating home they never received.
In 2022, Tanya Frisk-Welburn and her husband bought what they hoped would be a dream home in Mexico.
B.C. will be opening “highly secure facilities” for people with addiction and mental health issues in the province, officials said Sunday.
One person is dead after a car was found on fire in the parking lot of a rec centre in Coquitlam, B.C., Sunday morning, local Mounties confirmed.
Police say they’re investigating a violent assault on Granville Street in downtown Vancouver Saturday night.
The FBI said Donald Trump was the target of “what appears to be an attempted assassination” at his golf club in West Palm Beach, Fla., on Sunday.
Travellers, business groups and politicians expressed fervent relief on Sunday after Air Canada and the union representing thousands of its pilots negotiated a new labour deal and averted a disruptive, countrywide shutdown.
The Toronto International Film Festival's People's Choice Award went to 'The Life of Chuck,' handing Mike Flanagan's Stephen King adaptation one of the most-watched prizes of the fall film festival circuit.
Sixteenth Avenue reopened to vehicle traffic Sunday, as the city continues to wrap up work on the Bearspaw feeder main.
The FBI said Donald Trump was the target of “what appears to be an attempted assassination” at his golf club in West Palm Beach, Fla., on Sunday.
Around 2,000 people laced up for the 44th annual Terry Fox Run in Calgary Sunday, raising funds for cancer research and bringing hope to survivors and their families.
The Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) marked 84 years since the Battle of Britain in a ceremony on Sunday at Beechwood National Military Cemetery.
Hundreds of Ottawa residents gathered in front of Parliament Hill to mark the second anniversary of Mahsa Amini's death and to renew calls for change in Iran.
Two drivers are facing impaired driving charges after being caught allegedly driving under the influence in two separate incidents Saturday night in Ottawa, according to the Ontario Provincial Police.
Around 50 protestors gathered outside of the Jewish General Hospital on Sunday, objecting to Quebec's French-language law's impact on the health care sector.
A fundraising walk in Montreal was held in support of those with emotional dysregulation such as borderline personality disorder.
Mont-Tremblant water-skier Pierre Plouffe, 75, is back from the world championships with a shiny first-place trophy in his age category.
Due to the secretive subterranean lives of tiger salamanders, many Edmontonians can count themselves lucky to ever see one. Still, lucky wasn't the word leaping to mind for one local woman when thousands of the normally-elusive amphibians recently descended on her childhood home.
A man is dead after being found seriously injured in the river valley in south-central Edmonton on Saturday.
A man has been arrested and another is wanted in connection with the killing of man after a fight at the Sunchild First Nation gas station in 2023.
After much back-and-forth between the provincial and federal governments, Nova Scotia has moved forward with mitigation work on the Chignecto Isthmus, but the province’s premier says the federal government will have to cover the bill.
Hundreds gathered on the apron at 12 Wing Shearwater Sunday morning in a ceremony to remember Canada’s contribution to the Battle of Britain.
Nine cities across Canada put on demonstrations over the weekend in support of migrant rights as they call for change to happen at a government level.
Two people are dead after being rescued from a burning Atlantic Ave. building early Saturday morning. Winnipeg police say the fire was suspicious and the homicide unit has taken over the investigation.
The FBI said Donald Trump was the target of “what appears to be an attempted assassination” at his golf club in West Palm Beach, Fla., on Sunday.
Hundreds of sneakers hit the pavement and grass in Assiniboine Park on Sunday morning. The annual event, inspired by Terry Fox’s Marathon of Hope more than four decades ago, raises money for cancer research in Canada.
The City of Regina has big plans for one of its oldest trees that was cut down last year.
Regina fire crews were at the scene of a porch fire Saturday evening.
The shoreline of Echo Valley Beach hosted several people looking to learn more about the role water plays in the lives of everyone.
Two sisters have finally been reunited with a plane their father built 90 years ago, that is also considered an important part of Canadian aviation history.
A 19-year-old man has been taken to hospital after a shooting in Cambridge.
Charges laid after a neighbour was sprayed with a water gun, a man-made island appears in the Grand River, and bikers flock to Port Dover for Friday the 13th.
Saskatoon’s 44th annual Terry Fox run took place on Sunday, uniting the community, and country in a shared goal of raising funds for cancer research.
There’s more out-cry about a proposed temporary shelter in Saskatoon's downtown core. This time it's from professionals who run a children’s mental health clinic next door, servicing thousands of vulnerable kids each year.
Saskatchewan RCMP major crimes unit is investigating a suspicious death after the body of a 28-year-old man was discovered in a home on Beardy's and Okemasis' Cree Nation.
A person from Greater Sudbury died and two other individuals were transported to hospital after a five-vehicle crash near Port Dover, Ont., late Saturday afternoon.
The Liberals have no intention of using procedural tactics to delay the Conservatives' promised non-confidence motion, and they have no plans to prorogue Parliament to hold onto power, according to Government House Leader Karina Gould.
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre signaled the Liberals' carbon price and the economy will remain his prime target when Parliament resumes this week.
The spirit of Terry Fox took over Springbank Park in London Sunday, as hundreds laced up for the annual Terry Fox Run.
Norfolk OPP say they were on the scene of a five vehicle collision on Blueline Road in Port Dover on Saturday evening at around 6:00 p.m.
The eleventh annual ‘Power of Golf Fore Charity’ tournament at Caradoc Sands Golf Club on September 10 raised $80,000 to support a future hospice in Strathroy.
A search is underway in Penetanguishene for a youth who went missing while swimming at Huronia Park on Sunday.
The Simcoe-Muskoka region raised more than $100,000 in support of cancer research, as thousands took part in their nearest Terry Fox Run on Sunday.
One person is dead after a three-vehicle crash in Mulmur township Saturday afternoon.
The FBI said Donald Trump was the target of “what appears to be an attempted assassination” at his golf club in West Palm Beach, Fla., on Sunday.
On Wednesday, the Windsor Residence for Young Men (WRYM) gave MPP’s Andrew Dowie and Lisa Gretzky a look into the effect of the $152,800 grant that they received.
A Windsor councillor has raised concerns about traffic congestion on the east end of the city.
B.C. will be opening “highly secure facilities” for people with addiction and mental health issues in the province, officials said Sunday.
Travellers, business groups and politicians expressed fervent relief on Sunday after Air Canada and the union representing thousands of its pilots negotiated a new labour deal and averted a disruptive, countrywide shutdown.
The FBI said Donald Trump was the target of “what appears to be an attempted assassination” at his golf club in West Palm Beach, Fla., on Sunday.
More than a year after a missing Kamloops, B.C., woman’s body was found, her son has been arrested and charged with her murder, Mounties announced Friday.
A woman suffered life-threatening injuries after being stabbed during a home invasion in Kelowna, according to authorities.
A 12-year-old collie was killed by three pit bulls in the B.C. Interior Sunday morning, according to authorities.
Lethbridge police have located and arrested a man wanted on a number of outstanding warrants.
Lethbridge police say a 28-year-old man is facing charges of attempted murder following a frightening attack on a woman inside her home this week.
A police operation in near Vauxhall, Alta. has ended.
Ontario does have a new millionaire after Friday night’s historic $75 million Lotto Max draw – but they only won $1 million. The record-breaking jackpot was not won meaning the prize money will roll over into the next draw.
The creation of a new transmission line into Sault Ste. Marie has some residents upset due to a proposed route the line would take.
Ontario Provincial Police advised they had concluded their investigation in the Town of Chapleau shortly before 3:30 p.m.
Newfoundland and Labrador's chief medical officer is monitoring the rise of whooping cough infections across the province as cases of the highly contagious disease continue to grow across Canada.
A 16-year-old biennial event aimed at fostering business in the country's eastern Arctic and northern regions has been cancelled indefinitely as a dispute unfolds between Inuit in Canada and a Labrador group claiming to share their heritage.
Jim Lester’s farm hopped on the cow-cuddling trend in early August, and his time slots have been pretty well sold out ever since.
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