BodPod Testing to show doctor that BMI charts suck!

keeponkickin
keeponkickin Posts: 1,520 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I had to change primary care doctors recently. I saw him for the first time a couple of weeks ago and we were going over my medical history. I told him I recently lost 112 pounds. He says "how tall are you?" I tell him I'm 5' 8." I'm medium framed and he goes over to the BMI chart on the wall and says "you're at the top of the normal range with a BMI of 25 and I want you to lose another 15 to 20 pounds." What the #@*&! No saying way to go on losing the weight, you're doing great, and he really didn't look at me. I told him how much I workout. That I put in a lot of time. He sent me to a nutritionist and I knew that would be a waste of time. I started at a high weight of 277 and I am now at 165. 164 is the top of the "range" for my height. The nutritionist at least looked at me and told me I looked fit and that the BMI chart is just a guideline and not the end all. So, I contacted the university by my home and I will be going into the bodpod this week. I hope the results are where I need them to be so my doctor can take his BMI chart and shove it. :laugh:

Replies

  • TrainingWithTonya
    TrainingWithTonya Posts: 1,741 Member
    I once had a new doctor who walked in reading my chart and didn't look up at me before he started speaking. The first words out of his mouth were, "you need to lose 50 pounds". I was actually body building at the time and in the best shape of my life, so I flexed my biceps and told him, "I'm only 13% body fat and in order to lose 50 pounds it would have to be muscle. I'd rather use that muscle to throw you out that window for not actually examining your patients or knowing that your BMI and height weight charts are bogus." When he looked up and saw me, he apologized very quickly. I think he was afraid I might actually throw him out the window. That was my only visit to that doctor because I called my insurance as I was walking out the door and asked for a new primary care physician. Some doctors are idiots when it comes to fitness and nutrition. They don't have any classes in exercise science or how the body responds to exercise and they only have one basic nutrition class. I don't go performing surgery on their patients, so they need to quit trying to do my job and recommend weight loss programs without the training to do so. At least he referred you to a nutritionist.
    16 years Certified Personal Trainer and Group Exercise Instructor
    9 years Certified Sports Nutritionist
    Bachelors in Exercise Physiology with a Minor in Nutritional Science
    ACSM Certified Clinical Exercise Specialist
    NSCA Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 34,392 Member
    That would be my last visit to that doctor. And since my insurance wouldn't cover BodPod, I wouldn't waste my money on that either. You know yourself. Don't let someone with a degree push you around.
  • keeponkickin
    keeponkickin Posts: 1,520 Member
    That would be my last visit to that doctor. And since my insurance wouldn't cover BodPod, I wouldn't waste my money on that either. You know yourself. Don't let someone with a degree push you around.

    Thankfully at the university it's only $30 to be tested. It's a piece of mind I need for myself anyway and since I baffled the nutritionist I will happily give him the results too. I could tell he wanted to side with me but couldn't go against the referring doctor.
  • susannamarie
    susannamarie Posts: 2,148 Member
    If you want to do the BodPot, do it for yourself, not for him :P
  • keeponkickin
    keeponkickin Posts: 1,520 Member
    If you want to do the BodPot, do it for yourself, not for him :P

    Trust me, this was something I was looking into before I even saw this doctor. But it will be nice to have results in hand and my own piece of mind. See, I've been stalled at this weight since the first week of December and deep down I think this is where my body wants to be. It will be nice to have all the info from the bodpod.
  • stephaneb74
    stephaneb74 Posts: 151 Member
    please change doctor if he still follow BMI rules... this is the most ridiculous chart ever invented.... it has its use in many settings (like research and stuff) but should not be used as an evaluation of fitness...
  • darkenedfalling
    darkenedfalling Posts: 26 Member
    yeah bmi is only okay if you're of perfect frame for that height and have all your weight from whatever percentage of body fat they use for that weight. I always come out as underweight on bmi but a doctor has never once said to me you're too thin, you're too light etc... and i've seen a fair few with different illnesses.
  • skinnyack
    skinnyack Posts: 683
    I love the bod pod! And congratulations on your weight loss so far!
  • BAMFMeredith
    BAMFMeredith Posts: 2,810 Member
    please change doctor if he still follow BMI rules... this is the most ridiculous chart ever invented.... it has its use in many settings (like research and stuff) but should not be used as an evaluation of fitness...

    Totally agree. BMI is ridiculous. My mom's insurance premium went up because of her BMI---which is pretty stupid considering she's a 5'5" 57 year old woman with 20% body fat.
  • keeponkickin
    keeponkickin Posts: 1,520 Member
    please change doctor if he still follow BMI rules... this is the most ridiculous chart ever invented.... it has its use in many settings (like research and stuff) but should not be used as an evaluation of fitness...

    Totally agree. BMI is ridiculous. My mom's insurance premium went up because of her BMI---which is pretty stupid considering she's a 5'5" 57 year old woman with 20% body fat.

    That's ridiculous!

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