BMI
Options
kay_baybay
Posts: 4 Member
So just a little curious cause I've been doing research about BMI's.. How much should one rely on that and it base their focus on that? Is that what should determine a "goal weight"?
0
Replies
-
BMI is a pretty good indicator of fat levels for most people.0
-
kay_baybay wrote: »So just a little curious cause I've been doing research about BMI's.. How much should one rely on that and it base their focus on that? Is that what should determine a "goal weight"?
It's like a screwdriver.
It's a useful tool in your toolbox, but should not be the ONLY tool in your tool box.
As long as you understand that it's based on entire population averages, and that individual data point (ie - you) can and will fluctuate from that 'average', it will give you a rough idea of a good 'goal' weight.0 -
ceoverturf wrote: »kay_baybay wrote: »So just a little curious cause I've been doing research about BMI's.. How much should one rely on that and it base their focus on that? Is that what should determine a "goal weight"?
It's like a screwdriver.
It's a useful tool in your toolbox, but should not be the ONLY tool in your tool box.
As long as you understand that it's based on entire population averages, and that individual data point (ie - you) can and will fluctuate from that 'average', it will give you a rough idea of a good 'goal' weight.
This...0 -
ceoverturf wrote: »kay_baybay wrote: »So just a little curious cause I've been doing research about BMI's.. How much should one rely on that and it base their focus on that? Is that what should determine a "goal weight"?
It's like a screwdriver.
It's a useful tool in your toolbox, but should not be the ONLY tool in your tool box.
As long as you understand that it's based on entire population averages, and that individual data point (ie - you) can and will fluctuate from that 'average', it will give you a rough idea of a good 'goal' weight.
This...
Cosigned. Bugs me to no end that my doctor sees the BMI number as hard and fast truth about a person's health. It's a good indicator along with weight and waist size. It's not the end-all be-all of the story.
0 -
My doctor and I had a nice chat about how different it might be if they'd had calculators at the time it was conceived. And how people don't scale in just two dimensions. And how tall people get jacked by the formula and short people benefit.
BMI gives a somewhat defensible answer if you're not particularly muscular and the closer to average height you are. But, yeah, it's not the answer.0 -
It's pretty reasonable for about 85% of the population. Unfortunaltely most aren't as "muscular" as they think they are.0
-
About 1/3 of people that BMI classifies as normal are actually overweight. So it's a pretty ridiculous tool. It was never designed for use on individual people.0
-
-
ManiacalLaugh wrote: »ceoverturf wrote: »kay_baybay wrote: »So just a little curious cause I've been doing research about BMI's.. How much should one rely on that and it base their focus on that? Is that what should determine a "goal weight"?
It's like a screwdriver.
It's a useful tool in your toolbox, but should not be the ONLY tool in your tool box.
As long as you understand that it's based on entire population averages, and that individual data point (ie - you) can and will fluctuate from that 'average', it will give you a rough idea of a good 'goal' weight.
This...
Cosigned. Bugs me to no end that my doctor sees the BMI number as hard and fast truth about a person's health. It's a good indicator along with weight and waist size. It's not the end-all be-all of the story.
Me too! When I was training for a triathlon AND a full marathon and running in 8 half marathons that same year, I weighed about 146 lbs (my "fighting weight). I was extremely fit and I went in to get a physical. The doctor walked in, head down, looking at her clipboard and the first thing she says is "I see your BMI is around the max for the healthy range. You might want to lose some weight." I said, "I swim about a half mile, bike about 30 miles, and run about 25 miles per week. I don't think I can do anymore than that. I think it's just the way I'm built."
BMI isn't the best indicator for how healthy I am when I'm in full training and doing everything right.
Example 144-146 lbs and I was considered at risk for becoming Overweight based on the BMI scale:
0 -
If you are overweight and haven't been at a healthy weight for a long time (or ever), BMI is a good tool to help you set an initial goal to get into a healthy range. Once you get into that range, though, the mirror and simply jiggling around a bit does a better job of showing you what a good maintenance spot will be.0
-
Guessing he means in comparison to going by body weight percentage.DeguelloTex wrote: »
BMI skews towards underestimating body fat percentage.
0 -
About 1/3 of people that BMI classifies as normal are actually overweight. So it's a pretty ridiculous tool. It was never designed for use on individual people.
And probably about another 1/3rd it classifies as overweight, when they are perfectly fit and at a healthy weight!
For example, see the @TaurianDoll post above.
Not being funny, but the BMI charts do not take into consideration people of different Ethnicities either or Bone density.0 -
What's the cutoff for a healthy body fat percentage?
Guessing he means in comparison to going by body weight percentage.DeguelloTex wrote: »
BMI skews towards underestimating body fat percentage.
0 -
ceoverturf wrote: »kay_baybay wrote: »So just a little curious cause I've been doing research about BMI's.. How much should one rely on that and it base their focus on that? Is that what should determine a "goal weight"?
It's like a screwdriver.
It's a useful tool in your toolbox, but should not be the ONLY tool in your tool box.
As long as you understand that it's based on entire population averages, and that individual data point (ie - you) can and will fluctuate from that 'average', it will give you a rough idea of a good 'goal' weight.
I would add to this that it is also a range to account for various body types. I see way too many people arbitrarily shooting for very low BMI without acknowledging that maybe they don't have the body type for that.
BMI is a range in order to account for various body frames, etc...you aren't given a range so that you can arbitrarily pick and choose a number within that range.
For most people who have been over fat, BMI is a good place to start, but it's not the be all and end all. I am overweight as per BMI at around 15% BF...at the highest of of BMI for my stats, I'm around 10% BF which is very lean...I couldn't get any lower than that without torching some muscle, and I'm by no means a body builder or anything like that, I just have a fairly athletic build.0 -
my personal bmi range @ 5 ft 7 is 118 (18.5) to 159 (24.9)..which is considered in a healthy range...
That is 41 lb range...I think that would encompass a lot of people...even those with more muscle mass, denser bones etc...
I am not defending BMI either but there are few...very very few who it doesn't apply to...I used to think I was one of them...I am not.
Being fit and being able to run marathons etc does not mean you are not over weight...and the poster above who was on the cusp was still in a healthy range for BMI...
ETA: I still don't think it should be the only measure tho...
0 -
BMI was designed to be a hard and fast measurement/comparison tool for working in situations when you have little more than simple measurements to go from (it's pretty easy to get someone's height, weight, age, and gender with very simple tools, even in the middle of nowhere and without electricity, etc). It was originally geared toward research applications like doing epidemiological surveys where you don't have complicated technology like bioelectric impedance or staff that is properly trained in the use of calipers. It can also be used as a hard and fast tool in medical applications to see where a person fits amongst a curve or an average. Does that mean it is accurate for every individual? Nope. It wasn't originally intended to be but it was a useful yardstick to make comparisons and predictions across varied people. This doesn't mean it is inaccurate; for a vast number of people it is quite useful; that's why it was created. Unfortunately, if you are on the fringes of average (very tall, short, muscular, female*) it is less so and should be treated as just one tool of many, as someone above stated.
*The funny aspect of BMI is it is far less sensitive/accurate for women than men when you look at how the mathematical equation is set up. Women are more highly variable, probably due to hormone fluctuations/fat to muscle percentages/life stage changes/etc... The equation tries to pull all those variations into a lineal equation and the result is, well, interesting. If you are female and on the fringe of average it can get even more inaccurate than for men. Making the number ranges for normal, overweight, and obese the same as males limits some of the usefulness as well since women's bodies work a bit differently and they distribute fat in less destructive locations generally. Does that mean it isn't generally accurate for women? Also nope but it is something to keep in mind, especially if you are a fit healthy woman that isn't quite fitting into the BMI box that seems correct.0 -
Depends on sex.DeguelloTex wrote: »
What's the cutoff for a healthy body fat percentage?
Guessing he means in comparison to going by body weight percentage.DeguelloTex wrote: »
BMI skews towards underestimating body fat percentage.
Usually below 25% is considered acceptable for a man, 32% for a woman. Though as it is harder to get an accurate number for, I think there is no where near the medical correlations and research done it.
Wikipedia has this table for body fat:
Description Women Men
Essential fat 10–13% 2–5%
Athletes 14–20% 6–13%
Fitness 21–24% 14–17%
Average 25–31% 18–24%
Obese 32%+ 25%+
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Body_fat_percentage0 -
So, as someone overweight should I use this as a way to figure out a goal weight?0
-
BMI for your goal weight? It can give a rough idea of what would be an appropriate weight.So, as someone overweight should I use this as a way to figure out a goal weight?
If you a condition that makes your lean body mass heavier or lighter than normal, it might be off. The only typical ways to be terribly different in lean body mass is either being an experienced lifter, or malnourished.
0 -
roselin4love wrote: »Hello
Am Roselin.
I saw your profile here today,
i will like us to be good friends
Please reply me back direct to my personal email address,
(roselinkarume@yahoo.com)
so that i will send you my pictures and details,
there is something important i will like to discuss with you.
thanks and remain blessed.
ROSELIN.
I sooo want to mark this as possible spam, but I've done so much spam flagging lately and don't want to end up in forum jail. ;_;0
Categories
- All Categories
- 1.4M Health, Wellness and Goals
- 392.1K Introduce Yourself
- 43.6K Getting Started
- 259.9K Health and Weight Loss
- 175.7K Food and Nutrition
- 47.4K Recipes
- 232.4K Fitness and Exercise
- 403 Sleep, Mindfulness and Overall Wellness
- 6.4K Goal: Maintaining Weight
- 8.5K Goal: Gaining Weight and Body Building
- 152.8K Motivation and Support
- 7.9K Challenges
- 1.3K Debate Club
- 96.3K Chit-Chat
- 2.5K Fun and Games
- 3.4K MyFitnessPal Information
- 23 News and Announcements
- 1K Feature Suggestions and Ideas
- 2.4K MyFitnessPal Tech Support Questions