  A person's weight status can have profound implications on their life,
ranging from mental health, to longevity, to financial income. At the societal
level, "fat shaming" and other forms of "sizeism" are a growing concern, while
increasing obesity rates are linked to ever raising healthcare costs. For these
reasons, researchers from a variety of backgrounds are interested in studying
obesity from all angles. To obtain data, traditionally, a person would have to
accurately self-report their body-mass index (BMI) or would have to see a
doctor to have it measured. In this paper, we show how computer vision can be
used to infer a person's BMI from social media images. We hope that our tool,
which we release, helps to advance the study of social aspects related to body
weight.
