10 top reasons why the BMI is bogus

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  • Culley34
    Culley34 Posts: 224
    Pretty sure there is a million threads on people talking about the BMI...

    But, I don't think it's bogus. People point to the exceptions and say... "Look! A bodybuilder is classified as overweight / obese. There is no way it makes sense." I guess if our society was filled with 4% BF weightlifters that would be one thing, but it's not.

    When used as a tool for tracking populations - I think the BMI is useful. Less so, if someone is using it as a weight loss metric.

    I just re-read that list... and saw this gem...

    10. It embarrasses the U.S. (So, because it says Americans are fat... the BMI is bad. Got it.)

    It is embarrassing for one of the most scientifically, technologically and medicinally advanced nations in the world to base advice on how to prevent one of the leading causes of poor health and premature death (obesity) on a 200-year-old numerical hack developed by a mathematician who was not even an expert in what little was known about the human body back then.
  • dsjohndrow
    dsjohndrow Posts: 1,820 Member
    It's a great article. And like the exercise calculators and that other stuff, it's a GUIDE. If everyone use the guide it will at best be average.

    If you are losing weight, use the scale.

    If you are losing inches, use the tape measure.

    If you are gaining health, look at your diet (what you eat) and your blood work.

    If you are trying to become fit, look at how far you can run, swim or bike.

    It is as individual as your DNA.
  • Kaiukas
    Kaiukas Posts: 111 Member
    If BMI is used in the right context, it is an extremely useful quick'n'dirty measure. If it is used out of context, it can be quite misleading.

    I assert that it is a meaningful measure for 80% of MFP members, if not more. Clearly isn't that meaningful for the very athletic among us and PROPERLY measured body fat % is a better measure.

    By the way, a question for the anti-BMI brigade, what would be a better quick and easy measure to use?
  • Deipneus
    Deipneus Posts: 1,861 Member
    NPR, like everyone else, is looking for pageviews and so it uses a provocative headline: "Top 10 Reasons Why BMI is Bogus". Notice all the "Top 10" lists in headlines? It's a tried and true pageview generator.

    The first "reason" states the BMI usefulness very well. "He produced the formula to give a quick and easy way to measure the degree of obesity of the general population to assist the government in allocating resources." Exactly! It's a quick and easy rule-of-thumb. That's all it is. That doesn't make it "bogus". It's just not a be-all-end-all answer. They don't exist.

    Notice that the article slams BMI but proposes no better solution.

    There are people with high BMI numbers that aren't fat. They are almost always very, muscular.

    Bottom line, if you want to ignore BMI and use it as an excuse for a very high number, don't let me stop you. But don't expect me to buy into the "BMI is Bogus" headline.
  • Skinny_Beans
    Skinny_Beans Posts: 405 Member
    You can be unhealthily overweight/underweight and still be in your bmi, yes it can be misleading but it's a quick gauge meant to be used by the whole population. I think it's good for people who aren't in the center of a "healthy" bmi, because they can clearly see if they are out of a certain range.
  • xtrout
    xtrout Posts: 193 Member
    The article is fundamentally true. It is a 200 year old formula and should be updated. Having said that, it is the standard guidelines being used by physicians. The medical community needs to come to task and redefine the calculations used. Again, it is a just a guideline. Kind of like the food pyramid.
  • Emma_Problema
    Emma_Problema Posts: 422 Member
    I agree. BMI is bogus. I understand how it can be a useful measurement but it really is not a very good indicator of health. Did you know that in 1988 the BMI categorizations were changed, creating a wider range for "overweight" individuals? Even more interesting, several members who were on the panel for the NIH change were paid consultants for weight watchers. I'd say that solidifies my view of the BMI categories as bull****.
  • Emma_Problema
    Emma_Problema Posts: 422 Member
    I agree. BMI is bogus. I understand how it can be a useful measurement but it really is not a very good indicator of health. Did you know that in 1988 the BMI categorizations were changed, creating a wider range for "overweight" individuals? Even more interesting, several members who were on the panel for the NIH change were paid consultants for weight watchers. I'd say that solidifies my view of the BMI categories as bull****.

    Pardon me. It was 1998. My bad!
  • FredDoyle
    FredDoyle Posts: 2,273 Member
    There already are updated BMI formulae, so the author is attacking a strawman.
    That said, they're guides and the trend seems to be toward measuring body fat percentages.
  • DernaPern
    DernaPern Posts: 26
    Wow, what a relief. Because according to my BMI, I'm a 30.2, which is obese.
  • darleyschroeder
    darleyschroeder Posts: 322
    The article had some good points in it and they should come up with something better.
    However, the healthy weight range for an individual is a pretty big range. My personal range is 114 pounds to 151 pounds, depending on frame size. Seems pretty reasonable to me..Now if someone my height was really built and had lots of muscle, they would have a much larger BMI, but one look at them and nobody would be classifying them as obese.
    The BMI scale is good for the "average" American. It helps them get a picture of where they should be at. In a society where overweight/obesity is on the rise it is easy to think that you are a healthy size. When the average person you see if 30-200 pounds overweight it's easy to justify carrying just a little extra weight. Maybe obese people see themselves as only overweight and many overweight people see themselves as healthy.
    I am not speaking for everybody, just a general trend I have noticed for many years, especially when I used to work.
    When I was obese I never thought I had a problem, until I looked up my BMI and then I got a clearer picture. And I truly was obese.
  • Ruthe8
    Ruthe8 Posts: 423 Member
    Wow, what a relief. Because according to my BMI, I'm a 30.2, which is obese.
    And your ticker says you need to lose 50 pounds, so what's your issue with BMI? Obviously YOU think you're obese as well.
  • darleyschroeder
    darleyschroeder Posts: 322
    Another thing...
    If you are in a healthy or slightly overweight BMI, then break out the tape measure and body fat scale. That will be a big sign of your healthy. How are you performing in your exercise?
    The BMI is a pretty useful guide.
    American's shouldn't be so quick to dismiss the BMI, we obviously have a serious weight problem. Pretending like your healthy doesn't make it so.

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