What do you think of the BMI?

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  • MB_Positif
    MB_Positif Posts: 8,897 Member
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    I wonder how many people on this site who state that the BMI calculator doesn't apply to them are indeed professional body builders or olympic athletes.

    I am neither a professional body builder or olympic athlete. However, I believe BMI does not apply to me very well at all. Though I still struggle to see myself that way, I have had friends who have actually said things like, "You are so dainty," but my BMI is right at the top end for my height. How can I be dainty if I am so overweight. Personally when I see myself I see a small pitbull.
  • malena126
    malena126 Posts: 18 Member
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    Me too! :laugh:
  • SpleenlessGal
    SpleenlessGal Posts: 24 Member
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    I wonder how many people on this site who state that the BMI calculator doesn't apply to them are indeed professional body builders or olympic athletes.

    I am neither a professional body builder or olympic athlete. However, I believe BMI does not apply to me very well at all. Though I still struggle to see myself that way, I have had friends who have actually said things like, "You are so dainty," but my BMI is right at the top end for my height. How can I be dainty if I am so overweight. Personally when I see myself I see a small pitbull.

    When I was at my goal weight it had me as underweight, but I really wasn't.
    I was a size 4 (I'm now a 6-8), and the fittest I've ever been! So yeah, a guideline is good, but I don't think people should worry if they don't fit it exactly. As long as you're not too far from the range they give.
  • MB_Positif
    MB_Positif Posts: 8,897 Member
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    I wonder how many people on this site who state that the BMI calculator doesn't apply to them are indeed professional body builders or olympic athletes.

    I am neither a professional body builder or olympic athlete. However, I believe BMI does not apply to me very well at all. Though I still struggle to see myself that way, I have had friends who have actually said things like, "You are so dainty," but my BMI is right at the top end for my height. How can I be dainty if I am so overweight. Personally when I see myself I see a small pitbull.

    When I was at my goal weight it had me as underweight, but I really wasn't.
    I was a size 4 (I'm now a 6-8), and the fittest I've ever been! So yeah, a guideline is good, but I don't think people should worry if they don't fit it exactly. As long as you're not too far from the range they give.

    Yeah, I am definitely not worried about it at all! :)
  • jwdieter
    jwdieter Posts: 2,582 Member
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    BMI is a fun topic. Always interesting to see people trotting out the football player examples. If you're a densely-muscled guy with big legs, you won't fit the normal range. But if you're lean, you're extremely likely to be within the BMI normal range. If you work out and are close to lean, you're probably right around 24-26. If you're not close to lean, well maybe the category actually fits. Plenty of people look "small" these days simply because they aren't carrying around an extra 50+ pounds of fat.
  • ewrob
    ewrob Posts: 136 Member
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    BMI is so flawed it's not even funny. There are lots of things it doesn't take in account like body types. I have no real use for it.

    What are you even basing that on? By your own reporting you have over 100 pounds to lose. I've lost over 100 pounds and I can tell you it's hard to predict what your body will actually be like after that weight loss.

    Also, several people, (myself included) have pointed out that a range is provided for BMI precisely to account for differences in body types and other individual variances.

    It sounds to me like you just don't like what your BMI # tells you.
  • LumpySpacePrincess1
    LumpySpacePrincess1 Posts: 388 Member
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    An the BMI, preventing us from all just getting along since the 1800's :tongue:
  • fitmomhappymom
    fitmomhappymom Posts: 171 Member
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    I find it pretty darn accurate.
  • chezjuan
    chezjuan Posts: 747 Member
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    I see BMI like the check engine light on a car... it could be something serious, or it could be that the gas cap is too lose.

    When I was not active, my BMI put me in the Obese category. It wasn't a mistake, and I got off my butt and worked hard. Once I lost weight and got in shape, BMI still had me overweight, but close to the top of the range, so I checked my BF%, which was in the healthy range. So I kept doing what I was doing and didn't worry about BMI.
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,268 Member
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    BMI is so flawed it's not even funny. There are lots of things it doesn't take in account like body types. I have no real use for it.

    What are you even basing that on? By your own reporting you have over 100 pounds to lose. I've lost over 100 pounds and I can tell you it's hard to predict what your body will actually be like after that weight loss.

    Also, several people, (myself included) have pointed out that a range is provided for BMI precisely to account for differences in body types and other individual variances.

    It sounds to me like you just don't like what your BMI # tells you.

    No just no...

    My BMI says 26.5 that's fine it says I am overweight...I am, I get that and not saying I am not overweight at this time...

    I still don't like BMI and don't agree with it even as a guideline.

    I am 5 ft 7 the "healthy" range for me is 121-140. At my best, healthiest and lowest BF% I was 20 years old, in the military (combat arms) and solid muscle...bf% appx 18%..I weighed 158lbs did 7 chin ups easy and ran a 6min mile, that weight puts me at overweight...I was not overweight. At an "appropriate" BMI I was 133lbs and soft as a stuffed animal...bf% appx 30%...that is not healthy.

    There are plenty of people here in that boat now...fit, low bf% and strong...and BMI puts them at overweight...WTH. :grumble:

    BMI is meant to be used as a simple means of classifying sedentary (physically inactive)populations, with an average body composition not individuals who are active, fit and strong that is why it is a BS measurment or even a guideline for those of us who are active or individuals regardless of who says it "fits" them individually...

    in short BMI is to measure inactive groups...not active groups or active/sedentay individuals.
  • jvbrooks
    jvbrooks Posts: 82 Member
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    A good rough outline, more or less. You do have some outliers, but I think for the vast majority of folks, it is a relevant tool.

    People will say, "oh, by the BMI method, most body builders and athletes would be obese!"

    The point there however is that unless you have a really low body fat %, this will likely not happen to you. I'm obese by the BMI and, lo and behold, I am overweight, so, it works.
  • jfrankic
    jfrankic Posts: 747 Member
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    BMI is not meant for individual use, it was designed to compare groups of populations. i.e. Generally speaking those that fall in the overweight category of BMI tend to have more health issues than healthy, but any one person can be healthy in the overweight category or unhealthy in the "healthy" category.

    ^^ This. I'm only 5 pounds from being in the "overweight" categorty. Psssht, whatever. :laugh:
  • Kanuenue
    Kanuenue Posts: 253 Member
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    It's a tool used for large scale population generalizations. It is not a conclusion of individual health or fitness.
  • deksgrl
    deksgrl Posts: 7,237 Member
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    It told me I'm too short.
    Have you by chance ever been to Mordor with a lad named Sam?
    I have. My axe approves of this response.

    "Throw me..... just don't tell the elf"
  • sarah_lou22
    sarah_lou22 Posts: 79
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    complete horse****.

    according to BMI I am "morbidly obese".

    do I look morbidly obese to you??

    I would agree that I am overweight. but no way that I am in the category that BMI puts me in!

    in addition, BMI says that I am supposed to be between 95-110lbs. At my smallest (120) I had 10% body fat -- which is very underweight! but according to BMI, I was still overweight.

    I prefer to use BFP -- with BFP I am 5% over a healthy, normal weight.
  • jwdieter
    jwdieter Posts: 2,582 Member
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    complete horse****.
    according to BMI I am "morbidly obese".
    do I look morbidly obese to you??
    I would agree that I am overweight. but no way that I am in the category that BMI puts me in!
    in addition, BMI says that I am supposed to be between 95-110lbs. At my smallest (120) I had 10% body fat -- which is very underweight! but according to BMI, I was still overweight.
    I prefer to use BFP -- with BFP I am 5% over a healthy, normal weight.

    There seems to be a fair amount of confusion here. To get an upper bound of 110, you'd be under 4'8. If you're that size and 190, you're carrying around relatively a whole lot of fat.

    Also, you weren't 10% body fat.
  • shadus
    shadus Posts: 424 Member
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    Accurate? Horse *kitten*? Coincidentally accurate for everyone else except you?

    If you're not an athlete, it's probably "roughly" accurate. The more muscular you become, the less accurate it is.

    A lot of overweight people like to say it's highly inaccurate, "I could never be the weight it suggests", but they've never been close enough to their correct bmi to have any accurate idea of the truth of that statement.
  • clownfear_7
    clownfear_7 Posts: 59
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    I don't. It takes too little into consideration and it is relied on too much.
    I talked to my dietician yesterday and she said that according to my BMI that my target would put me at 181 lbs. I weighted 181 lbs. my junior year in high school when I was thin, ran 3 miles daily and lifted weights twice a day. It just is not practical to assume that at 41 years old that this is something for me to attain.
  • jwdieter
    jwdieter Posts: 2,582 Member
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    If you're not an athlete, it's probably "roughly" accurate. The more muscular you become, the less accurate it is.

    Not disagreeing, but there are a LOT of athletes at normal BMI. Especially female athletes. Not a lot of football players, but nearly every soccer player or track athlete, male or female, is normal BMI. Basically most lean athletes are "normal", with the guys who need to be exceptionally jacked for their sport as the exception.
  • sarah_lou22
    sarah_lou22 Posts: 79
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    complete horse****.
    according to BMI I am "morbidly obese".
    do I look morbidly obese to you??
    I would agree that I am overweight. but no way that I am in the category that BMI puts me in!
    in addition, BMI says that I am supposed to be between 95-110lbs. At my smallest (120) I had 10% body fat -- which is very underweight! but according to BMI, I was still overweight.
    I prefer to use BFP -- with BFP I am 5% over a healthy, normal weight.

    There seems to be a fair amount of confusion here. To get an upper bound of 110, you'd be under 4'8. If you're that size and 190, you're carrying around relatively a whole lot of fat.

    Also, you weren't 10% body fat.

    my bad -- between 95 and 120, not 110

    also, how do you know what body fat I was -- my doctors and specialists would have definitely disagreed with you.

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