Do you think someone can be obese and healthy?
Replies
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I know a few men who are tall with a good amount of muscle mass, who according to the BMI scale, are considered obese. So, yes.
Actually, you don't know ANYONE who is considered obese based on their BMI index alone. BMI is a guestimate that does not consider lean muscle mass. Bodybuilders are overweight (again, a measurement based on a metric average), but they are NOT OBESE. BMI is a horrible measurement for people with lean muscle mass.
BMI does have an obese category based solely on height and weight. Your opinion of it being horrible doesn't change that.0 -
hey, I am not a body builder but just happen to have a bit more muscle than my friends.Can a body builder be "obese" on BMI chart? I know people with more muscle could be slightly "overweight" (myself) but not sure if they will reach to "obese"...
Bodybuilders (yourself included) are not CLOSE to 30% body fat, which is the measurement that defines obesity.
BMI is a tool used to guestimate an approximation based on a set of criteria that assume an average. It is fallable because it doesn't work with people with lean muscle mass. Lean muscle mass skews the results. Example, a 300 lb bodybuilder on the BMI scale is obese, but this is obviously wrong. Obesity is a measurement of body fat, not weight.
I thought Obesity is measured primarily based on BMI, at least this is what I was told by my doctors here in US.0 -
I know a few men who are tall with a good amount of muscle mass, who according to the BMI scale, are considered obese. So, yes.
Actually, you don't know ANYONE who is considered obese based on their BMI index alone. BMI is a guestimate that does not consider lean muscle mass. Bodybuilders are overweight (again, a measurement based on a metric average), but they are NOT OBESE. BMI is a horrible measurement for people with lean muscle mass.
BMI does have an obese category based solely on height and weight. Your opinion of it being horrible doesn't change that.
Yeah, it's an INACCURATE CATEGORY.0 -
I know a few men who are tall with a good amount of muscle mass, who according to the BMI scale, are considered obese. So, yes.
Actually, you don't know ANYONE who is considered obese based on their BMI index alone. BMI is a guestimate that does not consider lean muscle mass. Bodybuilders are overweight (again, a measurement based on a metric average), but they are NOT OBESE. BMI is a horrible measurement for people with lean muscle mass.
BMI does have an obese category based solely on height and weight. Your opinion of it being horrible doesn't change that.
yeah, that was my impression, too, obesity/overweight being measured merely based on BMI...this annoys me big time but I can't change it.
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hey, I am not a body builder but just happen to have a bit more muscle than my friends.Can a body builder be "obese" on BMI chart? I know people with more muscle could be slightly "overweight" (myself) but not sure if they will reach to "obese"...
Bodybuilders (yourself included) are not CLOSE to 30% body fat, which is the measurement that defines obesity.
BMI is a tool used to guestimate an approximation based on a set of criteria that assume an average. It is fallable because it doesn't work with people with lean muscle mass. Lean muscle mass skews the results. Example, a 300 lb bodybuilder on the BMI scale is obese, but this is obviously wrong. Obesity is a measurement of body fat, not weight.
I thought Obesity is measured primarily based on BMI, at least this is what I was told by my doctors here in US.
I realized that a long time ago but the fact that doctor/insurance company are still using BMI as primary measuring tool is hard to change, too. I am not obese but has been always slightly overweight and lot heavier than my tiny skinny friends. this depresses me all the time. 0 -
Sure, you can be heavy and healthy. The problem is that the healthy part tends to be more temporary than with smaller folks. There are some conditions that heavier people are at increased risk for...although those are certainly not inevitable. Or even limited to fat folks.0
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I like to think that I am
I have a resting hear rate around 50
I run triathlons. I typically exercise 5 days a week
My bp and cholesterol are good
I weigh 310 lbs
I dont want to push it. I know I cant be here forever but I think Im obese and healthy0 -
Sure, you can be heavy and healthy. The problem is that the healthy part tends to be more temporary than with smaller folks. There are some conditions that heavier people are at increased risk for...although those are certainly not inevitable. Or even limited to fat folks.
I think there are enough studies to show the correlation between health problems with obesity but it's never absolute. These studies just show a higher "risk" but they don't mean it has to happen...like I am at higher risk of being hit by a car with my daily walking to work than my husband who rarely walks to anywhere, but it doesn't mean I will be hit by a car tomorrow...please don't beat me if this is a bad example. :flowerforyou:0 -
I like to think that I am
I have a resting hear rate around 50
I run triathlons. I typically exercise 5 days a week
My bp and cholesterol are good
I weigh 310 lbs
I dont want to push it. I know I cant be here forever but I think Im obese and healthy
Have you had your body fat percentage measured recently?0 -
Currently healthy, sure. Long-term, doubtful.0
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I don't think so, at least not once they approach their mid-30's. Assuming of course that the obese part is coming from extra fat and not extra muscle.
I was reasonably healthy at 34 though... but I couldn't bend over without losing my breath and my cholesterol was too high. So I guess I don't really call that 'healthy'.0 -
I know a few men who are tall with a good amount of muscle mass, who according to the BMI scale, are considered obese. So, yes.
Actually, you don't know ANYONE who is considered obese based on their BMI index alone. BMI is a guestimate that does not consider lean muscle mass. Bodybuilders are overweight (again, a measurement based on a metric average), but they are NOT OBESE. BMI is a horrible measurement for people with lean muscle mass.
BMI does have an obese category based solely on height and weight. Your opinion of it being horrible doesn't change that.
Yeah, it's an INACCURATE CATEGORY.
Sometimes, but not usually. It is population based and supported by research. Like any poplation based tool, there will be individual outliers.0 -
It's a simple measurement, folks. Over 30% BODY FAT, you're obese. If you are a 300 lb body builder who has 6% body fat, you are NOT OBESE.
If you're 6 foot and 300 pounds, you are not healthy no matter what your body fat percentage.
IMO, etc.
Say what? LOL0 -
I know a few men who are tall with a good amount of muscle mass, who according to the BMI scale, are considered obese. So, yes.
Actually, you don't know ANYONE who is considered obese based on their BMI index alone. BMI is a guestimate that does not consider lean muscle mass. Bodybuilders are overweight (again, a measurement based on a metric average), but they are NOT OBESE. BMI is a horrible measurement for people with lean muscle mass.
BMI does have an obese category based solely on height and weight. Your opinion of it being horrible doesn't change that.
Yeah, it's an INACCURATE CATEGORY.
Sometimes, but not usually. It is population based and supported by research. Like any poplation based tool, there will be individual outliers.
The keyword in your sentence is "sometimes." Whenever you apply BMI to people who are bulky but have a low percentage of body fat, it skews the results. The BMI was not designed for athletes with lower body fat composition. Think about it. Do you think the HULK is obese? That's totally ridiculous. His BMI would say he is, however.0 -
It's a simple measurement, folks. Over 30% BODY FAT, you're obese. If you are a 300 lb body builder who has 6% body fat, you are NOT OBESE.
If you're 6 foot and 300 pounds, you are not healthy no matter what your body fat percentage.
IMO, etc.
That's absolutely and totally false. So every bodybuilder on the planet is not fit? They are all obese? Your huffing, man.0 -
Yes. Why? Because I was certainly healthier obese (both as a teen and six months ago) that I was as an active bulimic. And also because even though I was in the obese category for BMI, my basic lab numbers and blood pressure were all well within the normal range. (My immune numbers were a screwed up mess, but I have an auto immune disease so...) I am not the only obese patient I've seen like that either, so I am not taking my own anecdote and making it data. As a general rule, the middle of the road BMI numbers have the most healthy people in them, but they aren't the be all and end all. Anything below 150 will be unacceptably skinny for me and it's the higher end of the scale as far as BMI is concerned.0
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I know a few men who are tall with a good amount of muscle mass, who according to the BMI scale, are considered obese. So, yes.
Actually, you don't know ANYONE who is considered obese based on their BMI index alone. BMI is a guestimate that does not consider lean muscle mass. Bodybuilders are overweight (again, a measurement based on a metric average), but they are NOT OBESE. BMI is a horrible measurement for people with lean muscle mass.
BMI does have an obese category based solely on height and weight. Your opinion of it being horrible doesn't change that.
Yeah, it's an INACCURATE CATEGORY.
Sometimes, but not usually. It is population based and supported by research. Like any poplation based tool, there will be individual outliers.
The keyword in your sentence is "sometimes." Whenever you apply BMI to people who are bulky but have a low percentage of body fat, it skews the results. The BMI was not designed for athletes with lower body fat composition. Think about it. Do you think the HULK is obese? That's totally ridiculous. His BMI would say he is, however.
Which HULK are you talking about? BMI was not designed for any indvidual or specifc cohort. That's what "population based tool" means.
Athletes can be obese.0 -
I like to think that I am
I have a resting hear rate around 50
I run triathlons. I typically exercise 5 days a week
My bp and cholesterol are good
I weigh 310 lbs
I dont want to push it. I know I cant be here forever but I think Im obese and healthy
Have you had your body fat percentage measured recently?
I have not.0 -
I know a few men who are tall with a good amount of muscle mass, who according to the BMI scale, are considered obese. So, yes.
Actually, you don't know ANYONE who is considered obese based on their BMI index alone. BMI is a guestimate that does not consider lean muscle mass. Bodybuilders are overweight (again, a measurement based on a metric average), but they are NOT OBESE. BMI is a horrible measurement for people with lean muscle mass.
BMI does have an obese category based solely on height and weight. Your opinion of it being horrible doesn't change that.
Yeah, it's an INACCURATE CATEGORY.
Sometimes, but not usually. It is population based and supported by research. Like any poplation based tool, there will be individual outliers.
The keyword in your sentence is "sometimes." Whenever you apply BMI to people who are bulky but have a low percentage of body fat, it skews the results. The BMI was not designed for athletes with lower body fat composition. Think about it. Do you think the HULK is obese? That's totally ridiculous. His BMI would say he is, however.
Which HULK are you talking about? BMI was not designed for any indvidual or specifc cohort. That's what "population based tool" means.
Athletes can be obese.
you are arguing just to argue. "BMI was not designed for any indvidual or specific cohort." Damn right, it wasn't. That's why individually it's highly inaccurate.0 -
I like to think that I am
I have a resting hear rate around 50
I run triathlons. I typically exercise 5 days a week
My bp and cholesterol are good
I weigh 310 lbs
I dont want to push it. I know I cant be here forever but I think Im obese and healthy
Have you had your body fat percentage measured recently?
I have not.
Ah. I would wager that you are a bigger triathlete with a lower body fat percentage. You are HEAVY, sure, but you are not OBESE. There is a difference.0 -
I know a few men who are tall with a good amount of muscle mass, who according to the BMI scale, are considered obese. So, yes.
Actually, you don't know ANYONE who is considered obese based on their BMI index alone. BMI is a guestimate that does not consider lean muscle mass. Bodybuilders are overweight (again, a measurement based on a metric average), but they are NOT OBESE. BMI is a horrible measurement for people with lean muscle mass.
BMI does have an obese category based solely on height and weight. Your opinion of it being horrible doesn't change that.
Yeah, it's an INACCURATE CATEGORY.
Sometimes, but not usually. It is population based and supported by research. Like any poplation based tool, there will be individual outliers.
The keyword in your sentence is "sometimes." Whenever you apply BMI to people who are bulky but have a low percentage of body fat, it skews the results. The BMI was not designed for athletes with lower body fat composition. Think about it. Do you think the HULK is obese? That's totally ridiculous. His BMI would say he is, however.
Which HULK are you talking about? BMI was not designed for any indvidual or specifc cohort. That's what "population based tool" means.
Athletes can be obese.
you are arguing just to argue. "BMI was not designed for any indvidual or specific cohort." Damn right, it wasn't. That's why individually it's highly inaccurate.
Yes, occasionally it is.0 -
I know a few men who are tall with a good amount of muscle mass, who according to the BMI scale, are considered obese. So, yes.
Actually, you don't know ANYONE who is considered obese based on their BMI index alone. BMI is a guestimate that does not consider lean muscle mass. Bodybuilders are overweight (again, a measurement based on a metric average), but they are NOT OBESE. BMI is a horrible measurement for people with lean muscle mass.
BMI does have an obese category based solely on height and weight. Your opinion of it being horrible doesn't change that.
Yeah, it's an INACCURATE CATEGORY.
Sometimes, but not usually. It is population based and supported by research. Like any poplation based tool, there will be individual outliers.
The keyword in your sentence is "sometimes." Whenever you apply BMI to people who are bulky but have a low percentage of body fat, it skews the results. The BMI was not designed for athletes with lower body fat composition. Think about it. Do you think the HULK is obese? That's totally ridiculous. His BMI would say he is, however.
Which HULK are you talking about? BMI was not designed for any indvidual or specifc cohort. That's what "population based tool" means.
Athletes can be obese.
you are arguing just to argue. "BMI was not designed for any indvidual or specific cohort." Damn right, it wasn't. That's why individually it's highly inaccurate.
Yes, occasionally it is.
Read this article on the history of the BMI chart. Then you will see how flawed it is. It wasn't even designed (in 1830,by the way!) for the way people are currently using it.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Body_mass_index0 -
Depends on the definition of "healthy". If this means don't have any chronic conditions requiring medical intervention/daily medications then yes. I am healthy, I am also obese, I am also in my 50s.0
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yes. I know several people who are considered obese yet have healthy numbers (cholesterol,blood sugar etc) and can run 5Ks around most other people I know. I'm obese and have perfect blood pressure and all the other tests and I run mud runs and work out and eat healthy....I hate my weight but due to a hormone disorder my body clings to every calorie0
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I am not a doctor but i can say whether i was really fat or average i always had high blood pressure. I know some real heavy people no health problems some are old some are young but overweight. At times I think it is heredity.0
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My 79 year old father is is the healthiest fat person I have ever seen. He has low blood pressure. Of course there are parts of his body that hurt him with the excessive weight, but no heart trouble, stroke or other issues. Knock on wood.0
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I'm 5'10 and 210#, so by BMI I'm still obese by about 2#.
Last week I ran 42 miles which included a 13 mile run.
I routinely smoke people when hiking the local mountains. (except when I go with the ultra-marathoners)
My recent blood work numbers were all acceptable or better.
I poop 1-2X/day and they're generally firm.
So yes... I'm obese AND healthy.
And while BMI can generally be considered to be bunk, if I wasn't as active as I am and you saw me naked you'd be "yep... that dude is obese"0 -
If you define "healthy" as "alive" or even "alive and ambulatory", many obese people are "healthy".0
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Only in the NFL and even then your stretching it.0
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Yes, to a point.
I'm 51, and have been obese to morbidly obese for 90 percent of my adult life. Blood sugar is great. Cholesterol is great. Blood pressure great. Injuries heal quickly and when I do catch a bug I am usually over it long before most other people.
I do have mental health issues, and am having joint issues in my hands and wrists, neither are considered to be related to my obesity.
So.
My doctor considers me healthy, though clearly unfit.
That all said, I fully understand that I am both incredibly lucky and effectively a walking timebomb.0
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