Confused about BMI calculations

raycamja
raycamja Posts: 1
in Getting Started
Hi all, im new to MFP. However I did the BMI calculations using (227pounds, 5ft, 9in height) and got a score of 33, this says im overweight but as far as Im looking , im not. Can anyone help with an explanation?....please

Replies

  • farmboy64
    farmboy64 Posts: 1
    The BMI is a general calculation has a lot of flaws. If you are a heavily muscled person it is worthless. A better test is a body fat test that will give you an idea of were you stand or even the old pinch an inch test.
  • _Zardoz_
    _Zardoz_ Posts: 3,987 Member
    Can anyone help with an explanation?....please
    Yes you're overweight.
  • Wronkletoad
    Wronkletoad Posts: 368 Member
    the BMI is good for populations, not individuals. It's not a productive measure for day-to-day work. Use individualized measures instead.
  • aarondnguyen
    aarondnguyen Posts: 270 Member
    The BMI doesn't take into account lean body mass (LBM). Being 5'5" and weighing 130lbs may be considered having a "healthy" body mass index, but if your fat-to-muscle ratio is poor (more fat than muscle) then you are what's considered "skinny fat". On the opposite end, if you're 5'5" and weigh 145lbs, but you do a lot of weight training, it's likely that a good portion of your weight is from muscle -- despite the fact that the BMI may suggest you're overweight.
  • michael300891
    michael300891 Posts: 275
    The BMI doesn't take into account lean body mass (LBM). Being 5'5" and weighing 130lbs may be considered having a "healthy" body mass index, but if your fat-to-muscle ratio is poor (more fat than muscle) then you are what's considered "skinny fat". On the opposite end, if you're 5'5" and weigh 145lbs, but you do a lot of weight training, it's likely that a good portion of your weight is from muscle -- despite the fact that the BMI may suggest you're overweight.

    This and BMI is meaningless, if your serious about measuring body composition, get some bodyfat calipers. You can buy decent sets for about a tenner these days.
  • Bagelsan
    Bagelsan Posts: 49
    I like the jiggle test as a reality check. I stand in front of the mirror and bounce up and down, and eyeball my jiggle -- lately I've been jiggling more as well as putting on a little weight, so it's probably not muscle mass I'm gaining!

    Or, like everyone said above, get your body fat measured; it's more accurate and a better indicator of your health than BMI.
  • AwesomeGuy37
    AwesomeGuy37 Posts: 436 Member
    My goal weight is overweight on that chart too. It says I should weigh like 155 lbs. Yeah, right.

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