What do you think of the BMI?

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  • nwg74
    nwg74 Posts: 360 Member
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    I have a BMI of 26.5 after starting at 58.4. Apart from a little excess skin around the stomach, I already get told I look too thin and can fit in a small sized T Shirt. I am aiming to be a little under BMI 26 but after 9 months still haven't got there.

    The BMI formula is 200 years old and was used for population not individuals.
  • iechick
    iechick Posts: 352 Member
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    I have a BMI of 26.5 after starting at 58.4. Apart from a little excess skin around the stomach, I already get told I look too thin and can fit in a small sized T Shirt. I am aiming to be a little under BMI 26 but after 9 months still haven't got there.

    The BMI formula is 200 years old and was used for population not individuals.

    I've gotten told I look too thin several times, all by people who are overweight. I've refrained from telling them I'm not too thin, it's that they're too heavy :tongue: I don't know why people think it's acceptable to knock someone down for being a healthy weight (as per my doctor), but I'd get flame broiled if I pointed out that they're overweight :huh:
  • nwg74
    nwg74 Posts: 360 Member
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    I've gotten told I look too thin several times, all by people who are overweight. I've refrained from telling them I'm not too thin, it's that they're too heavy :tongue: I don't know why people think it's acceptable to knock someone down for being a healthy weight (as per my doctor), but I'd get flame broiled if I pointed out that they're overweight :huh:

    My arms and feet are thinner than I like. It is just my stomach that I don't like. After losing over 200 pounds, it is just a little annoying to still look fatter than I like to be.
  • jwdieter
    jwdieter Posts: 2,582 Member
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    I've gotten told I look too thin several times, all by people who are overweight. I've refrained from telling them I'm not too thin, it's that they're too heavy :tongue: I don't know why people think it's acceptable to knock someone down for being a healthy weight (as per my doctor), but I'd get flame broiled if I pointed out that they're overweight :huh:

    My arms and feet are thinner than I like. It is just my stomach that I don't like. After losing over 200 pounds, it is just a little annoying to still look fatter than I like to be.

    Never heard anyone mention feet being thinner than desired before. Those are just your feet. They're not supposed to have fat on em. May take some time to get used to your new body (gratz on the big weight loss).
  • LuLuChick78
    LuLuChick78 Posts: 439 Member
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    8759934

    I do not think I am "big boned" nor am I a "chunky monkey" as one person said of us claiming the BMI scale does not apply to everyone. My BMI is 24 which is nearing the "overweight" category. I have been building muscle intentionally in order to compete next spring....so maybe that makes me a special snowflake...I don't know. All I know is some of those commenting that BMI is accurate for them cannot seem to grasp the fact that everyone is not the same. We are NOT all in denial if we claim it doesn't reflect our body.

    This is me...I don't think I am "nearly overweight"...but then again everyone is entitled to their own opinion on that as well and I am not everyone's cup of tea.

    ETA:pic didn't seem to work...so see profile.
  • rachaelgifford
    rachaelgifford Posts: 320 Member
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    Personally, I feel that it is a fair guideline for the average person.
  • QueenBishOTUniverse
    QueenBishOTUniverse Posts: 14,121 Member
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    I'm above average height, above average bone density, above average muscle mass etc. etc. etc., stopped paying attention to BMI a long time ago.
  • FP4HSharon
    FP4HSharon Posts: 664 Member
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    It was designed to be a very rough estimate of the AVERAGE person's body fat % at certain weight/heights. HOWEVER, the more muscular you become, the less accurate it'll be. For example almost any NFL player, body builder, or pro athlete would be considered in an unhealthy range, even though their weight is mostly muscle & their body fat percentage low. That's why a body fat percentage scale would be a better judge of fitness the better shape you're in.
  • jwdieter
    jwdieter Posts: 2,582 Member
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    8759934

    I do not think I am "big boned" nor am I a "chunky monkey" as one person said of us claiming the BMI scale does not apply to everyone. My BMI is 24 which is nearing the "overweight" category. I have been building muscle intentionally in order to compete next spring....so maybe that makes me a special snowflake...I don't know. All I know is some of those commenting that BMI is accurate for them cannot seem to grasp the fact that everyone is not the same. We are NOT all in denial if we claim it doesn't reflect our body.

    This is me...I don't think I am "nearly overweight"...but then again everyone is entitled to their own opinion on that as well and I am not everyone's cup of tea.

    You're building muscle intentionally and you're "normal" BMI. You're in fine shape and BMI indicates you're not at risk of being overweight. Seems like this is an example of "working as intended", not an exception.
  • clp212
    clp212 Posts: 202 Member
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    I know it is a guideline but it is very frustrating because insurance companies use it to help determine premiums. My husband is tall and thin. He wears a 34" waist, 38" length in jeans. His BMI is borderline obese. CRAZY!! The insurance company rated him up and gave him a higher premium because of it.
  • DymonNdaRgh40
    DymonNdaRgh40 Posts: 661 Member
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    I don't like that it makes no allowance for the relative proportions of bone, muscle and fat in the body. But bone is denser than muscle and twice as dense as fat, so a person with strong bones, good muscle tone and low fat will have a high BMI. Thus, athletes, fit, and health-conscious folk who work out a lot tend to find themselves classified as overweight or even obese.
  • darkestdayz
    darkestdayz Posts: 117 Member
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    Me, 10 years ago. 5'8", 178lbs. BMI 27.1, dead center of the overweight range.

    WZoHNv0.jpg

    Less than 20 lbs up from that now and barely out of the obese range...
  • FP4HSharon
    FP4HSharon Posts: 664 Member
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    I know it is a guideline but it is very frustrating because insurance companies use it to help determine premiums. My husband is tall and thin. He wears a 34" waist, 38" length in jeans. His BMI is borderline obese. CRAZY!! The insurance company rated him up and gave him a higher premium because of it.

    You can request that the insurance company do a tape measure or pinch test for body fat percentage. For example, in the military, if you're above a certain BMI, then you can be written up. But w/all the muscular types, they know once they reach that point, to just ask for the tape or pinch tests. Otherwise they enroll them in fitness programs that they don't need. But just being tall & thin shouldn't make you "overweight" on the BMI, it's usually only if people are muscular.
  • jwdieter
    jwdieter Posts: 2,582 Member
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    This is a nice look at athlete BMI:

    Male gold medal winners: http://www.runnersworld.com/elite-runners/bmis-champions
    Female gold medal winners: http://www.runnersworld.com/womens-running/bmis-of-champions-womens-edition

    Most male olympic gold medal winners are "normal", and nearly all female olympic gold medal winners are "normal" BMI. Throwers and heavy lifters can be "obese" for both males and females.

    As a side note, the most popular sports in the USA (basketball and football) are predominantly "overweight"+ BMI athletes at the pro level. Big, heavily-muscled guys.

    Being an athlete, especially a female athlete, is not a surefire "high BMI" scenario by any means.
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,268 Member
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    BMI is not a measure for individuals...period. It is a measure of groups of sedentary groups of the population per the definition

    I believe that BMI for most individuals should be ignore period. It is an antiquated calculation that is skewed for even "normal" people and if they aim for those weights (being uneducated) they aim for the low range not taking into account their muscle mass, their frame size etc.

    Declaring something as true automatically makes it so... period.

    As others have said, we aren't all special snowflakes. Some of us are much more overweight than we realize, or are comfortable with admitting. BMI is a helpful general tool to give us an objective picture of whether we are overweight and roughly how far into that category we are. Measuring body fat percentage is probably more effective, but harder to do. A lot of the posters here are simply in denial, especially the ones who are as yet nowhere near a healthy weight. How do you know?

    I edited to ensure my main point was not lost

    I personally don't agree with you...We do however agree BF% is good and effective tool, and yes harder to do.

    I recently read an article on this and what stood out to me the most was the fact this was not developed by a doctor...he was a mathematician...to help the government disperse aid.

    I am not saying we are all special snowflakes I just do not feel it is an appropriate measurment for individuals really based on why it was developed and how it is used and calculated now...en mass
  • ldrosophila
    ldrosophila Posts: 7,512 Member
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    for the general population accurate

    It's used extensively in research and medicine
  • ewrob
    ewrob Posts: 136 Member
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    I know it is a guideline but it is very frustrating because insurance companies use it to help determine premiums. My husband is tall and thin. He wears a 34" waist, 38" length in jeans. His BMI is borderline obese. CRAZY!! The insurance company rated him up and gave him a higher premium because of it.

    I'm at 36" jeans presently myself and I am about 10-15 pounds into the obese category. It doesn't sound so crazy to me.
  • clp212
    clp212 Posts: 202 Member
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    QUOTE:

    I know it is a guideline but it is very frustrating because insurance companies use it to help determine premiums. My husband is tall and thin. He wears a 34" waist, 38" length in jeans. His BMI is borderline obese. CRAZY!! The insurance company rated him up and gave him a higher premium because of it.


    I'm at 36" jeans presently myself and I am about 10-15 pounds into the obese category. It doesn't sound so crazy to me.

    36" waist or length?
  • lwagnitz
    lwagnitz Posts: 1,321 Member
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    It is meant to measure groups; not individuals. If you want something accurate get body fat test. I was told my whole life I was "obese" even when I was an athlete and almost all muscle.
  • jwdieter
    jwdieter Posts: 2,582 Member
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    I know it is a guideline but it is very frustrating because insurance companies use it to help determine premiums. My husband is tall and thin. He wears a 34" waist, 38" length in jeans. His BMI is borderline obese. CRAZY!! The insurance company rated him up and gave him a higher premium because of it.

    You can request that the insurance company do a tape measure or pinch test for body fat percentage. For example, in the military, if you're above a certain BMI, then you can be written up. But w/all the muscular types, they know once they reach that point, to just ask for the tape or pinch tests. Otherwise they enroll them in fitness programs that they don't need. But just being tall & thin shouldn't make you "overweight" on the BMI, it's usually only if people are muscular.

    This is good advice. There's some missing info if a guy is tall, "thin", and nearly obese by BMI. Especially a guy nearing retirement. If he's actually pretty jacked, which is possible, it's worth pursuing another measurement for fitness and taking that up with the insurance. If he has a 34" waist, but his belly hangs over his belt, then he probably just needs to lose some weight.

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