Bmi calculators, trust em!?

krissienunyabiz

Ok ladies, I've been harping at myself over my BMI calculator results. It's days I'm obese!!! Really? I mean don't get me wrong, I'm 5'2 and 170 no sorry 169 lbs I've got jelly! But obese? Does anyone else pay attention to this? And if so do you trust it as a method if monitoring weight loss success?

Mokey41

BMI calculators aren't perfect but yes at that height and weight you are clinically obese with all the health related risks that go along with that.

RoadsterGirlie

When I was 215, I didn't feel obese either, but according to BMI, I was just over the edge. However, looking back now there was no doubt about it.

ameliadiouf

Hi, They are usually right. But lets face it the word OBESE IS OBESE I don't like that word because it has a wide range, to me some people don't look obese, over weight maybe: I think it's just the word that scares us, it did me, and made me feel low, and embarrassed. We all know when we are over weight, we don't need to be told we are OBESE!

Good Luck with the weight loss

ameliadiouf

CONGRATS on your 89 loss ~ AWESOME!!

BarackMeLikeAHurricane

Obese =/= morbidly obese. Morbid obesity is being either 100lbs overweight or more than twice your ideal weight (this criteria is more for children). Just because you're not 500lbs doesn't mean you're not obese.

BarackMeLikeAHurricane

If anything, I'd say BMI runs a little high. At my current weight I'm 8lbs "underweight" even though I'm healthy. It only underestimates for the very muscular.

x3amberx3

According to BMI i'm obese too lol.... I use that for motivation! However, my trainer said that it doesn't take in account for muscle so it's just a a round about number and not to focus on it too much.

Achrya

I find the BMI chart is...perhaps skewed towards a certain kind of body type/type of person. At my ideal weight I'm pushing into overweight, but most people regarded me rather thin, complete with jokes about how I was wasting away and needed to eat more.

crisanderson27

I don't trust the BMI CHART...much less calculators.

At my current weight (180lbs), I'm borderline obese. No...I'm not a bodybuilder, no...I'm not heavily muscled. I'm just a relatively strong for my size, average build guy...who's sitting at about 19% bodyfat.

Give me a freakin break.

Crankstr

NO.

notworthstalking

I agree use it as a guide. According to the bmi, I could loose another 4 or 5 kilos before being underweight. Honestly if lost that much I would be seeing the doctor. I feel really good at the weight I am now and could handle a couple more.

AZKristi

BMI calculators are pretty accurate for determining obesity. Yes, there are exceptions among people with massive amounts of muscle, but these are rare. BMI is actually less accurate at the lower end of the spectrum. The CDC estimates that nearly 30% of people with BMI in the healthy range are overfat (aka "skinny fat"). That means that they weigh less because they lack lean body mass and still have more fat than is healthy.

marz42

I'd take it with a grain of salt..

Top 10 Reasons Why The BMI Is Bogus
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=106268439

SoDamnHungry

BMI is a good guideline. There will always be exceptions such as very muscular people, or some very naturally slim people, and sometimes people who are just kind of a stocky build, but it's a good indicator.

Popsing

BMI calculators are okay for the "average Joe" who wants to know if they are clinically obese. However, if you are a dedicated body builder/weightlifter, BMI is not really useful. My husband is 205 lbs of solid meat and he's considered overweight with a BMI of 27. His body fat is only 12% and he is 58 years old. I, too, lift weights and although my body fat is 30%--I'm hoping to get it down to 25%--I also have a high BMI. Higher than my size would indicate because I have so much muscle which is 1/5th the size of fat. Just remember that BMI is just a tool.

BinaryPulsar

A lot of people think that being at the low end of the bmi spectrum is underweight and unhealthy. But, that is an over reaction. People that are petite and small framed are very healthy at the low end of the spectrum and even down to 18 bmi. You can go over this with your doctor to see where you are based on you as an individual with your frame size, history, and genetics.

bdkglk

Thanks for this discussion. I am glad someone finally explained skinny fat to me. I can see how this happens because muscle weighs more than fat. At 146 lbs the BMI calculator has me at 25 and this is still overweight I am told.

crisanderson27

BMI calculators are pretty accurate for determining obesity. Yes, there are exceptions among people with massive amounts of muscle, but these are rare. BMI is actually less accurate at the lower end of the spectrum. The CDC estimates that nearly 30% of people with BMI in the healthy range are overfat (aka "skinny fat"). That means that they weigh less because they lack lean body mass and still have more fat than is healthy.

Clearly you didn't read my post. I don't have 'massive amounts of muscle' and no one I know who is at a healthy bodyfat and is borderline obese does either.

And trust me, that's not 'rare'. There are a crapload of us on my friends list alone, and I know a substantial amount of people in my day to day life that it doesn't fit either.

The chart is useless unless you fit the average. At either end it's completely skewed.

crisanderson27

Thanks for this discussion. I am glad someone finally explained skinny fat to me. I can see how this happens because muscle weighs more than fat. At 146 lbs the BMI calculator has me at 25 and this is still overweight I am told.

Ignore the BMI chart. Get a qualified person to measure your bodyfat...and use that as a gauge of your overall health. Lean mass is healthy. The only place that carrying any overabundance of lean mass can have a negative effect is joint inflamation...and trust me, it's going to be difficult at best for a woman to gain the kind of lean mass those kinds of issues would be triggered by.

wassergottin

Body fat percentages are more accurate than BMI calculations, but the BMI does work for the average person and fortunately, the majority of people fit the average. At that height and weight you are technically obese, whether or not you feel like it. The best thing to do would be seeing a doctor or a health center that has people on hand who can calculate your body fat, and do some health assessment such as blood work.

Achrya

Body fat percentages are more accurate than BMI calculations, but the BMI does work for the average person and fortunately, the majority of people fit the average.

Unless you're black/Latino. Or Asian. In which case you're probably outside of the 'average' as the BMI chart defines it. I'll just leave these here...

http://caloriecount.about.com/study-shows-black-women-can-healthy-b493869?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=newsletter_20110331&utm_term=continue1

http://www.who.int/nutrition/publications/bmi_asia_strategies.pdf

http://www.disabled-world.com/fitness/obesity-bmi.php

FussBucket

BMI is just a tool. A scale is just a tool. Use multiple tools to measure your progress every month. I keep a log of my weight weekly. I log BMI, Body fat % and measurements monthly. The important thing, for me, is to see those numbers trending down each month. I don't want to be an Olympic athlete and I like being a little curvy (jelly), but I am not dealing with the health risks of being obese. I watch the trend and I do not use just one tool to measure. I use a couple of tools because if I am gaining muscle my weight will go up, or stay the same, but my BMI, Body Fat % and measurements will go down. If I am am losing fat my weight, BMI, Body Fat %, and measurements will decrease. I have to be careful to keep exercising regularly when I am losing fat and get enough protein so that I can continue to grow muscle. Muscle burns 4 calories per ounce and everything else (fat) only burns 2. We need muscle in order to increase our metabolisms.

Resistance exercise is important for women so that we can increase our metabolism and keep our bones strong; among other benefits. I love this quote: "The only thing thing women can lift that will make us bulky is: our forks."

imfullerthanu

I don't trust them completely. I once got down to the weight I my BMI recommended and I looked freakishly skinny. The bobble-head kind of skinny. This time around, when I actually get to where I want to be I'll still be considered overweight but I really don't care. I just want to look and feel good.

3dogsrunning

I recently had a health assessment at work. I knew I was going to be considered overweight based on BMI and I was worried. When I went in the nurse calculated my BMI, and I was considered "overweight" on the lower end of the scale. However, she also used a waist measurement chart which put me in the healthy range. When it came down to it, she classified me as healthy, not overweight. I have a coworker who just competed in a bodybuilding competition (in the lower weight class, can't remember the names but he is certainly not huge) and he is considered overweight but he was on the lower end of the healthy scale when she did the waist measurement. The guy has a very low body fat percentage and is no way shape or form overweight.
I am fairly muscular, not huge by any means but I do tend to be on the higher end of the scale according to my height than others. When others are aiming to be 130, I have abs at 140.

autumnwater

My BMI is bogus.
I'm borderline underweight according to BMI.
But my calipers tell me I'm borderline overweight.

gwhizeh

Its a number used by insurance companies and doctors because it an be quantified. The method however is flawed.

onyxgirl17

I agree with those who said to track body fat as well. I think the two should be used in conjunction together.

It does also depend on how much lean body mass you have how you look at a certain weight.

My mom, for reference, was 5'2" 170 and definitely looked obese. But she didn't have much muscle.

ggxx100

Most definitely not.

It's all about body fat percentage..when I was losing weight with cardio and no weight training, my body fat percentage was 30% although I was in a normal weight range...not great for someone who technically didn't need to lose weight.

Also, the boyfriend's technically obese and has 7-8% body fat.

Now, if someone generally has no muscle and hasn't done any fitness related activities I'd trust the BMI calculations.

SteelySunshine

I don't trust BMI calculators. They won't tell you how much fat you carry and that is the dangerous thing, more than just being heavy. I might never ever have a good BMI, I am large boned and carry too much lean weight for now. I will have to lose a considerable amount of lean weight for that to even be a possibility, but I think it can happen if lean weight has a lot of water in it as well as muscle mass.

dpollet2

BMI is not supposed to be a goal to achieve. It's just one of many indicators of whether or not you are more likely to have certain issues. If your BMI is on the high side, than you should be a little more vigilant about watching your blood pressure, blood sugar levels, etc. When I say more careful, maybe get a full physical every year and check your blood pressure when you go to the drug store. Things pretty much everyone should be doing anyway really!

As a sleep tech, we use BMI as a flag for people who may be at risk for sleep apnea. That doesn't mean someone with a high BMI will have OSA, but they should be checked. If you have a high BMI and no other risk factors you wouldn't qualify for a sleep study.

Now having said that, I think that since BMI by itself is not really an accurate picture of someone's health that some people dismiss it completely. I've seen lots of over weight people with a whole list of issues say that BMI doesn't matter because they are "big boned." It's especially useful for kids because many times parents have a distorted view of their child's weight. I tell people that a higher BMI is not necessarily a reason to panic, but it is a reason to pause and ask more questions.