Do you believe in this BMI rubbish?

I'm 26 years old. At 22, I lost forty pounds, getting down to 155. I've maintained that weight (5 lbs over the normal weight for my height which is 5'5'') for the past four years, and am now curious about dropping body fat a little lower. I don't think that I'm unhealthier than someone who's my height and fifteen pounds lighter. My doctor is happy with my weight, and my numbers (cholesterol, blood pressure, heart rate, etc) are great. I'm slim with an athletic build and a good amount of muscle. But I also have some fat covering up that muscle. BMI obviously isn't the best way to measure things, but there's not one single method that's totally reliable and numbers are going manifest themselves in different ways for a variety of people.

BMI is supposed to be for "normal" people. LeBron James is almost obese according to BMI.

The majority of people don't have a lot of muscle build so that's the use for BMI.

There was a great article in Slate that discussed the history of the BMI from its origination as a tool for statistical population analysis back in the 19th century and how it has been co-opted by the government and insurance and health industries as an individual health analysis tool.

http://www.slate.com/articles/health_and_science/science/2009/07/beyond_bmi.html

As a statistical tool, BMI can work well for defining a population weight dynamics. As it is frquently being used today as an individual health assesment tool, it is completely absurd.

It's not rubbish at all for the majority of people.

Very muscular, athletic people are the exception, but those people aren't generally the ones complaining about BMI. They know their body fat is low and they are not overweight in any meaningful sense.

Most people who I see here disparaging BMI, though, are people who DO have extra fat, honestly.

If you're concerned, test your body fat, because that's a better indicator of health than BMI. Doesn't make BMI meaningless, though. I really think a lot of people have lost perspective on what "normal" actually should be on a non-athlete (and most people who exercise moderately really aren't athletes, either.) It's usually a lot lighter than they think. Not trying to criticise, just an observation.

I am using BMI as an indicator of something to work towards, I know that I can never be in the healthy BMI range as when this happens I am anorexic, but what annoys me is that the NHS use this tool and only this tool, I have to tell them to check my records or they will force me back into anorexia, for me even at a sedentary level BMI is dangerous, it also seems to be a thing that runs through my family, all the women are a deemed as obese when BMI is checked but when you look at them they look healthy, not fat.

In conclusion BMI can be used as a guide along with healthy eating, exercise and some very good healthy option recipes and fun do not underestimate having a good old belly laugh, that helps.

I can't understand why BMI is still used! Everywhere it's still used. I read this article that this guy who lost 17stone was denied surgery to removed excess skin by the NHS because his BMI was too high despite the fact that he had a lot of muscle and he did not look overweight in the slightest. My BMI is 27- 27.5, and it always gets me down. My friends tell me that I'm a healthy weight but I never believe them. Even when I was skinny my BMI was 23! I really think that BMI takes the mickey and doesn't take into account muscle, frame, bone structure, fitness levels etc. BMI was invented like 200 years ago when people were a lot smaller and a lot malnourished and had smaller frames and less bone density as a result. Plus I thought in those times fat was seen as good and healthy.

What are your views on BMI?

My BMI on some calculators tells me I am normal weight and on other calculators tells me that I am overweight. It always just makes me sad. I hate it. It tells my boyfriend that he is obese, almost morbidly obese, even though he has not an ounce of fat on him and is all muscle. I think it is a bunch of bull unless you are very overweight or other extremes like very short with a high weight or very tall with a low weight.

BMI works for 90% of the population. If you're outside of the range of the population for whom it works, you already know you are and can adjust for it.

It's not rubbish, but it's not an end-all-be-all for weight either.

:drinker:

It's a rough and ready easy to calculate guide. As a starting position, it's fine, but like everything else each individual then needs to consider their personal circumstances. Focussing solely on bmi to the extent that you ignore all other factors is clearly "rubbish", but that doesn't mean that bmi has no place in a weight loss regime.

yes this is what I think too.

For most people, BMI is a good guide to where they are at - but of course it has to be taken in context.
If someone is an elite body builder they will be carrying a lot of muscle and their BMI will put them in obese category - but everyone knows that doesn't actually make them obese.
Any doctor who uses BMI without context would be ridiculous.

But for me, and most people, we know our BMI was not out of the range because we carry lots of muscle.

deciding what my goal weight should be included aiming to be within the healthy range for my height or in other words to have a healthy BMI.

My BMI is now 23 and this is a healthier weight than when it was 28.
Of course I could have a BMI of 28 and weigh same as before and have built up lots of muscle - but I know that isn't the case - ie I am using BMI in context.

This thread 'kin hilarious ... loads of folks saying '"Yeah it's a good tool' and then going onto to give examples of how crap it is. - What, so it's NOT a good tool then.. [doh]

It's not always a good tool on an individual level. But it was designed to measure at the individual level, so that doesn't make it a bad tool.