BMI vs. Body Fat

digestibleplastic
digestibleplastic Posts: 27 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I have some interesting statistics for those of whom are wondering what their 'ideal' weight is.

My friend and I, both the same age, same height (5'4")

One of us was "overweight" 153 lbs - BMI 26.3 and the other was "healthy weight" 119 lbs - BMI 20.4

Both have been mostly sedentary for the last 15 years of our lives besides some cardio - NO weight lifting.

We both did Bod Pods (body fat test)

The one who was 153 lbs was 28% body fat.

The one who was 119 lbs was 33% body fat.

Normal and healthy body fat for women our age is around 19(athlete)-29%.

I do suggest if you're someone who is close to a "normal" BMI and frustrated with a weight loss stall, get an accurate reading of your body fat.

You could be a normal body fat and need to change up your fitness routine to see different results!

Replies

  • digestibleplastic
    digestibleplastic Posts: 27 Member
    L1zardQueen wrote: »
    Sometimes body fat testing can be incorrect. Don’t get too hooked into the numbers you get, they can be misleading. If you can, down the road, do the test again.

    We both did it twice and it was accurate.
  • L1zardQueen
    L1zardQueen Posts: 8,753 Member
    That’s good then. Read this. It is a good explanation, at least interesting, about testing.
    https://weightology.net/the-pitfalls-of-body-fat-measurement-part-1/
  • digestibleplastic
    digestibleplastic Posts: 27 Member
    L1zardQueen wrote: »
    That’s good then. Read this. It is a good explanation, at least interesting, about testing.
    https://weightology.net/the-pitfalls-of-body-fat-measurement-part-1/

    I think you might have missed my point. The point is, just because you are in an overweight BMI doesn't mean you have more weight to lose, and just because you're normal BMI doesn't mean the weight you are carrying is a healthy fat to lean mass ratio.

    BMI is basically the worst way to measure any one person's health. It has been studied, and debunked, as pseudoscience.
  • sgt1372
    sgt1372 Posts: 3,997 Member
    As your data indicated, while there is an association, no direct correlation between BMI and BF%

    BMI was developed as a simple way to determine if someone MAY be "at risk" for certain health problems associated w/being overweight (regardless of their BF%), like diabetes and cardiovascular disease

    While BMI can offer a "suggestion" of what weight range would be considered "healthy" based on one's height, it well documented that BMI is far from a perfect indicator of such risks and that it is a poor indicator for body builders and people of Asian ancestry.

    What is an "ideal" wt for a specific individual will vary widely based on genetics and other factors and, in order to determine what your BF% is you need to measure it. Best to ket your scale, mirror and how you "look/feel" at aspecific wt to determine if it is "ideal" for you

    While no method of BF% measurement is perfect, DEXA and Hydrostatic weighing are considered better than the BodPod in that they are more accurate (give a more precise reading) and more reliable (give consistent readings overcmutiple tests) but at least you have an idea from the BodPod what you BF% may be and you can determine your progress by taking further measurements over time.
  • richardgavel
    richardgavel Posts: 1,001 Member
    edited July 2020
    All statistics that are used to drive a decision about something (think political surveys to predict election results) have a margin of error. BMI vs BF is something I consider BMI having a higher margin of error, but an easier method to measure.
  • threewins
    threewins Posts: 1,455 Member
    Well I learned that the Bod Pod is relatively accurate compared to a DEXA scan, but it's not perfect according to https://examine.com/nutrition/an-accuracy-thing-measuring-body-fat-percentage but I disagree with the choice of "ideal" weight. I don't believe that there is a universal ideal weight/body fat percentage, and also an ideal weight can change, people can choose to gain or lose for various reasons. Anyway OP I hope you enjoyed your Bod Pod experience.

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