Having a BMI scale determine the severity of anorexia bars suffering people from the treatment they need and deserve. 

Part of the DSM-5 diagnostic criteria for Anorexia Nervosa, a deadly mental disorder where a person will restrict their food intake and become obsessed with their weight and shape, is based on BMI, body mass index, a system that takes your height and weight and uses it to calculate a number that determines "how healthy you are." The scale for Anorexia severity reads as follows: 

Mild Anorexia : BMI of 17 or greater
Moderate Anorexia: BMI of 16–16.99 
Severe Anorexia : BMI of 15–15.99 
Extreme Anorexia: BMI of 15 or less

If a patient is above a 17 BMI, they will usually be diagnosed with Atypical Anorexia Nervosa. The only difference between the two disorders is the weight requirement. Otherwise, they are the exact same. However, studies have found that Atypical Anorexia Nervosa is more common than Anorexia Nervosa, and just as harmful to the individual. 

Similarly, many experienced clinicians claim that the weight criteria for Anorexia Nervosa make it more difficult to properly diagnose, but for many struggling people, the only way to be taken seriously and to get professional help is to have a diagnosis. 

The DSM-5 should remove the BMI scale from the Diagnostic Criteria for Anorexia Nervosa in order to make diagnosis more accessible and help get people the treatment they need.