Bmi calculators, trust em!?

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."

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.

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

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.

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.

I think of BMI as similar to a "check engine" light in a car. A too-high or too-low BMI value serves to indicate that you need to check things out and make sure everything is otherwise ok and/or that you need to make some lifestyle changes. If the doctor says everything is OK, then you don't necessarily need to worry about it anymore. If everything is not OK, it can also be a good measure of your progress in getting things balanced again.

Agreed.. Use it as a rough guide only. I once knew someone who was not a body builder, though athletic. He played sports once a week and trained for an hour a week on top of going for walks/ light jogs. The BMI said he was overweight because of his muscle mass. So as a rough guide, sure.. But otherwise I would look into other ways to track things.

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