Do you think someone can be obese and healthy?

bcattoes

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.

roanokejoe49

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.

hey, I am not a body builder but just happen to have a bit more muscle than my friends.

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.

roanokejoe49

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.

albayin

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.

albayin

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.

hey, I am not a body builder but just happen to have a bit more muscle than my friends.

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.

megsmom2

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.

bago08

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

albayin

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:

roanokejoe49

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?

alisonlynn1976

Currently healthy, sure. Long-term, doubtful.

Francl27

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'.

bcattoes

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.

RECowgill

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? LOL

roanokejoe49

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.

roanokejoe49

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.

MelissaPhippsFeagins

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.

bcattoes

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.

bago08

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.

roanokejoe49

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.

roanokejoe49

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.