Thoughts on the New FAA Guideline

You're a good example of how BMI doesn't take into account muscle mass. Age is already a ticker where pilots need to go under additional scrutiny for things like cardiac disease or cardiovascular issues in general like potential for a heart attach or stroke in flight, etc. Although, that's why there's two pilots in the cockpit. Guidelines like this cast a net over everyone who meet (or don't meet) the criteria but how else can they identify "potential" issues? They do annual physicals which most of the general population doesn't do. I have a medical background, specializing in cardiology and this reminds me of the guidelines for donating blood. If the nurse takes your vital signs before you donate and your HR is below 60, you're off the bus and can't donate. My resting HR is around 55-57 and I get refused every time since I don't meet the guidelines. The nurse always feels bad and apologies but he/she is just following guidelines to protect the one who is donating from passing out, etc due to blood loss. It's ironic, most of us who are into fitness and take care of ourselves are probably the most fit to donate but can't. I don't even try anymore.

The current proposal by the FAA is 40 BMI. 30 is a long-term goal.

I have no problem with screening people above a certain BMI, provided they do "additional medical scrutiny" as you say, like measuring bodyfat, doing a sleep study, etc.