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BMI Not a Good Measure of Healthy Body Weight...

gcadmes
gcadmes Posts: 14 Member
edited February 2 in Introduce Yourself
Interesting read.... thought I would share. (sorry if it's already been shared)

http://www.livescience.com/39097-bmi-not-accurate-health-measure.html

Replies

  • leebesstoad
    leebesstoad Posts: 1,186 Member
    Interesting read.... thought I would share. (sorry if it's already been shared)

    http://www.livescience.com/39097-bmi-not-accurate-health-measure.html
  • tagsea
    tagsea Posts: 4
    AGREE. Where's the boldface key ... AGREE ...

    I have come down from a 37-BMI to now about 31, while at the same time moving from 26% BF to 16.5%. Mostly due to losing fat and working hard to build lean mass.

    So I do not appear obese, but the BMI tells me I am. My body type also works against me. I'm barrel-shaped and top-heavy. I think BMI is maybe good for average-frame folk of Northern European ancestry. That ain't me.
  • 1capybara
    1capybara Posts: 162 Member
    AGREED. BMI isnt useful at all. I have a photo of me and a younger soldier, holding a sign which says "= Height, = Weight"
    so our BMIs are =, but hes 50% stronger than me, and im alot fatter, so,BMI is meaningful whatsoever
  • red_road
    red_road Posts: 761 Member
    BMI charts are just general guide points. Atleast that is what i always looked at them as.
  • snazzyjazzy21
    snazzyjazzy21 Posts: 1,298 Member
    Agreed. I've never been classed as overweight my entire life, according to my BMI. If you went by body fat though, I was at the very high end of 'healthy' and would be classed as fat if you went by looks alone.
  • pollypocket3
    pollypocket3 Posts: 51 Member
    I just looked up what they would classify me at my goal weight with my height.. I'd still be overweight. While I wasn't using BMI as an indication of what my goal should be, what do others use as a general guideline?
  • 1capybara
    1capybara Posts: 162 Member
    the minimum (BMI = 17.5) and maximum (BMI= 25) are a good general indicator, but they are a world standard, someone considered to be ok weight in Islamabad, Pakistan maybe considered rail-thin in USA,
    and how can we take one number to be correct for both males and females? thats just inaccurate.
    and weight-lifter dudes will always exceed the maximum.
    I wish I had one of those fat-measuring calipers to determine % body fat. I saw them on amazon.
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