Are the BMI ranges really accurate

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Wookinpanub
Wookinpanub Posts: 635 Member
in Getting Started
For my height at 6'4" it says the NORMAL BMI would be weighing from 150 lbs to 205 lbs. How is that lower rate even close to normal? 6'4" and 150 lbs is sticks and stones skinny.

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  • kk_140
    kk_140 Posts: 518 Member
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    I for one have never taken BMI very seriously. It is a system based entirely on fat and does not take muscle into any consideration. So according to BMI, olympic athletes are obese because it assumes all the weight on a person's body is fat and not muscle.

    Personally I believe it is a very dated and inaccurate system.
  • oldmike1030
    oldmike1030 Posts: 14 Member
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    I think they kind of are what they are based on things that don't really take into account your real body. I'm 5'7" and in theory could be 118lb. If I weighed 118... well I could never weigh 118 and be anywhere near happy with myself. My goal is about 80% of the way thru the "healthy" range, but really it's a weight I'm comfortable with and not a BMI related weight.
  • canadafats
    canadafats Posts: 52
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    No! The BMI was created by a British supermodel thinktank set on destroying a rational person's way of determining what a healthy body image should be.

    I put zero stock into this index.
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
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    The BMI ranges are based on statistics. Big population based numbers. Statistically speaking, populations within those ranges are healthier than those outside the healthy range.

    It doesn't mean that everyone within that range is healthy, or that everyone outside the range is unhealthy.
  • LollyChester
    LollyChester Posts: 25
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    BMI's are based on an "approximate" estimation of the "normal" person's build. If you take into consideration that our generation is taller and wider than our ancestors you can see why the disproportionate problem exists. That being said - I know several 6'4 men who weigh around 220 and 230 and none of them are sticks and stones skinny. I don't put zero stock in it, but have met with a nutritionist to get a better outlook on what MY goal should be - definitely worth talking to someone if you want to use it as a goal measurement
  • princesspea234
    princesspea234 Posts: 182 Member
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    That fits my husband to a tee. He's one of those infuriating types that eats everything, but remains thin. He looks fine because he's built tall and lanky. On someone else, it would look too skinny. A lot of where you fall on the scale depends on bone structure and body type. That's why there is a broad range! Also, unless you ARE an Olympic athlete, the BMI is a great guideline to go by. Once you're in the healthy range, you can start monitoring body fat vs. muscle, etc.
  • bethcox16
    bethcox16 Posts: 229 Member
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    height to waist ratio is a lot more important, i use it as my bmi says im overweight, but my height to waist ratio says im skinny healthy... and since i fit into a size 6 im pretty sure im no longer overweight....
  • GLH2576
    GLH2576 Posts: 83 Member
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    The BMI ranges are based on statistics. Big population based numbers. Statistically speaking, populations within those ranges are healthier than those outside the healthy range.

    It doesn't mean that everyone within that range is healthy, or that everyone outside the range is unhealthy.

    Perhaps the best answer to this post is this one. If you want to read more about BMI check this Wikipedia entry

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Body_mass_index

    Short version, BMI is useful for population studies and less useful for individuals. However it is often used by many, including MDs, for individuals because nothing better has been developed. I prefer the Waist to Height ratio myself as that seems, to me, to be a better indicator of health but even that seems to be pretty dependent on your overall body shape and the taller you happen to be the less accurate it seems for some people.
  • jorge_007
    jorge_007 Posts: 70 Member
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    I use to rely on the BMI scale until I realized it does not work for my body type. I'm 6'4 as well and my lowest weight was 167 lbs. I was so thin that I got joked about being super skinny and flying away on windy days. haha My pants size is 32 and cannot go physically lower than that. I am now 218 lbs and my pants size is still 32 inches. I'm technically overweight and close to being obese according to the bmi scale. I run everyday and lifts weights 6 days a week. BMI is not accurate at all.

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