Need discussion: should BMI "standard" for men be different from women?

choligeetu

So I measure myself as 167cm, 57kg, which means my BMI is around 20. The BMI seems perfect and "standard", but my family and all my friends say that I look too thin. They say I will be better if I gain 5-6kg. So I wonder if the "standard" and "the healthy range" should be slightly different for men from women?

This was 6 years ago when I weighed 92kg;


And this is now I weigh 57kg.

Cocoa1020

I think you look amazing!!! the people telling you that you are too thin are so used to seeing you as heavier so in comparison you look thin... and women tend to have a higher BMI then men. we got boobs and a bigger butt thats mostly fat lollol

Josalinn

So BMI is really just a loose, basic guideline and should be used as such. Women are different from men physically and naturally have more fat so yes it does need to be different.

You look great and they will get used to the new you.

choligeetu

Josalinn wrote: »

So BMI is really just a loose, basic guideline and should be used as such. Women are different from men physically and naturally have more fat so yes it does need to be different.

You look great and they will get used to the new you.

Many thanks! So do I think and I'll keep on going...

nxd10

You look very trim. However, I bet your family is reacting to the thinness in the bottom of your face, which is very different than it was when you were heavier. I think you look fantastic.

Almost all of our families and friends tell us we're too thin when we hit a healthy weight. It takes them a while to get used to it.

accidentalpancake

Height is a more critical factor that needs to be addressed, as the BMI calc currently is very inaccurate (from a healthy range perspective) for taller individuals.

I'd say you look plenty healthy, and certainly not to thin.

AsISmile

Have to agree with the others. You look great. Definitely not too thin.

I am torn on the whole BMI thing. I completely agree that it doesn't work for people that have a considerable muscle mass, however I personally think it is a pretty good indicator for being underweight.

MelissaPhippsFeagins

You look good. BMI is a flawed measurement for everything except life insurance actuaries who invented it. There is correlation between morbid obesity and severely underweight and actual morbidity. Otherwise go with what your own doctor tells you and don't worry about what other people say. I have been between 155 & 160 for 18 months except for a brief bout of sickness that took me to 153. Yesterday, someone at work asked me if I have stopped eating altogether. Um, not even close...I think I have eaten ice cream 4 out of the last 7 days.

choligeetu

MelissaPhippsFeagins wrote: »

You look good. BMI is a flawed measurement for everything except life insurance actuaries who invented it. There is correlation between morbid obesity and severely underweight and actual morbidity. Otherwise go with what your own doctor tells you and don't worry about what other people say. I have been between 155 & 160 for 18 months except for a brief bout of sickness that took me to 153. Yesterday, someone at work asked me if I have stopped eating altogether. Um, not even close...I think I have eaten ice cream 4 out of the last 7 days.

Although I preferred a vegan diet since about two years, sometimes I have cravings for eggs and dairy...then I eat them, probably once per month or two months lol