?? Big bones and BMI ??

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  • Kate7294
    Kate7294 Posts: 783 Member
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    I know for myself my fingers just touch with no overlapping around my wrist. I always thought of myself as big boned but have been told by wrist that I'm not.
    After losing the first 25 lbs. my the bottom of my rib cage is already showing; though I'm not too skinny. I'm 5'7" CW 187 lbs. GW 155 will put me in the healthy range. I know in high school I got down to 130 lbs. once looked un-healthy.
  • RHachicho
    RHachicho Posts: 1,115 Member
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    People call it big boned but honestly it's not just about the bones. Your muscle structure, even your organs are just well a bit bigger than is average for a person your height. I am the same to quite the extreme. And yeah it means that you will hang around the upper edge of healthy bmi when you are at ideal weight. It doesn't mean it's ok to be overweight or obese because u where "meant" to be like that.
  • jakichan
    jakichan Posts: 109 Member
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    A couple of things...

    1) You can always get a body fat test. A dunk test or similar (but not the electronic kind) - you can focus on what a good "target weight" combined with a body fat percentage. That will take into account your bone structure.

    2) If you've been big for a LONG time, like I have been, your body adapts. My ankles are big, but my wrists are not. But my ankles support my weight, my wrists do not. From what I've read the stress of being heavy, if you're big enough, can cause your bones to get bigger.
  • WalkingAlong
    WalkingAlong Posts: 4,926 Member
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    Here's the BMI study I was talking about. I found it interesting.

    Www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2877506/
    That is interesting. So if your BMI says you're obese, you almost certainly are over-fat by BF%. But if your BMI is ok, there's a good chance you are still over-fat by BF%.

    "BMI-defined obesity (≥ 30 kg/m2) was present in 21% of men and 31% of women, while BF %-defined obesity was present in 50% and 62%, respectively. "

    I wish they'd used something besides bioelectrical impedence to test BF% but with almost 14,000 people anything more accurate was probably too expensive.
  • ahoier
    ahoier Posts: 312 Member
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    I have heard of this new "formula" - back when I was looking up BMI info.....there was one calculator that asked about bone structure....and the way they worded it, wrap your middle finger, and thumb around your wrist.....and they do something with the formula based on whether they "dont touch" "touch" or "over lap".......mine just barely touch when I tried it ;)

    Now back when I first started MFP, about 2 years ago, I couldn't touch at all lol.....my wrists have gotten smaller, my knuckles now "show" more.....and starting to see veins in my hands even lol
  • Mr_Knight
    Mr_Knight Posts: 9,532 Member
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    That is interesting. So if your BMI says you're obese, you almost certainly are over-fat by BF%. But if your BMI is ok, there's a good chance you are still over-fat by BF%.

    Put another way - when BMI is off, it tends to go wrong by underestimating (not overestimating!) people's level of fatness.

    Which is exactly opposite one of our more common MFP memes....
  • BinaryPulsar
    BinaryPulsar Posts: 8,927 Member
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    People call it big boned but honestly it's not just about the bones. Your muscle structure, even your organs are just well a bit bigger than is average for a person your height. I am the same to quite the extreme. And yeah it means that you will hang around the upper edge of healthy bmi when you are at ideal weight. It doesn't mean it's ok to be overweight or obese because u where "meant" to be like that.

    Yeah, it's true. I'm at the other end of the spectrum.
  • astroophys
    astroophys Posts: 175 Member
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    Its like this...

    Some people if you give them a push fall down.... Light to medium frames

    Some people you push.. like pushing a brick wall... They beat you up

    Its like that

    well sorta.. some of the little ones are mean and feisty.. they beat you up too

    Hahaha, I like this so much!
  • BinaryPulsar
    BinaryPulsar Posts: 8,927 Member
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    Its like this...

    Some people if you give them a push fall down.... Light to medium frames

    Some people you push.. like pushing a brick wall... They beat you up

    Its like that

    well sorta.. some of the little ones are mean and feisty.. they beat you up too

    Hahaha
  • elizabethroyce10
    elizabethroyce10 Posts: 37 Member
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    I also want to add that i think the charts are horse ****/ My dad is 5 10 and huge muscular guy... Splits literally 14 cord of wood a year with an ax.... seriously. The doctor recently told him he was obese.... wtf? he is absolutely solid.
  • penny0919
    penny0919 Posts: 123 Member
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    Just because you have a lot of muscle tone and can chop a lot of wood doesn't mean you can't be obese.



    Our culture (I assume you are in the US, Canada or Europe) doesn't have an accurate perception of what being overweight/obese looks like because so much of our population is in this category. Overweight looks normal to most of us. That is why so many parents don't believe their children are overweight when the doctor tells them.
  • ExRelaySprinter
    ExRelaySprinter Posts: 874 Member
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    Well, according to recent research done on BMI charts......many Olympic sprinters are overweight! :laugh:
    It's Ridiculous!
  • DeguelloTex
    DeguelloTex Posts: 6,652 Member
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    That is interesting. So if your BMI says you're obese, you almost certainly are over-fat by BF%. But if your BMI is ok, there's a good chance you are still over-fat by BF%.

    Put another way - when BMI is off, it tends to go wrong by underestimating (not overestimating!) people's level of fatness.

    Which is exactly opposite one of our more common MFP memes....
    It also underestimates weight issues for short people and overestimates them for tall people. It doesn't scale very well at either end of the bell curve.
  • PunkyRachel
    PunkyRachel Posts: 1,959 Member
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    I am big boned too. Yes, my fingers and wrist have shrink, but I still can't touch my fingers when I wrap them around my wrist. I think that's why I have such noticeable bones popping out now. Like my collarbone, shoulder bones, hip bones, rib cage, spine. I'm only in the upper range of healthy BMI too! I have people saying I look anorexic at 135-140 lbs, I'm 5'5 by the way.
  • kahulalui
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    Big bone girls, such as yourself, still shouldn't have any unnecessary flab hanging over their waistlines. Even if your BMI is a little higher, you shouldn't be frumpy. I've seen girls with wider frames who were in fantastic shape, and they looked good, real good. They normally sit on the top end of their optimum BMI range.

    I will always be frumpy from all the weight gain and loss I have done to myself over the years. You have to put into consideration that who lose weight don't end up tight. That doesn't let you know someone's bone structure either. SMH...

    Anyway, I have a thin face, wrists, and ankles. I am not so sure I am big boned.

    Every doctor will use a different tool. My doctor use to use by a waist to hip ratio before the AMA make the BMI scale mandatory but, if you are not hour glass or pear shaped it will say you are at risk. So that doesn't make sense to me as many people who have different body shapes are fine. I am still not at risk according to this tool even at this weight because my waist is 15" smaller than my hips.

    On the other hand, the BMI is sure a tool is something I have to relate too. I am at risk at this weight as both sides of my families suffer from high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and Diabetes when they are overweight to obese; just like the BMI chart states. When they lose weight or stay at a normal BMI range they don't have these diseases. I had Gestational Diabetes with my last pregnancy that has not ever gone into Diabetes II but, I am still at risk if I don't watch it. Since childhood has saved me but, if I would of continued on with my over-eating I would probably be just like my other family members. One of them died from Diabetes in his 50's. Finally, I am of Samoan descent which is another risk. Yay!

    It is too bad they don't take "everything" into consideration. I just don't believe size equals health for everyone. There is just so much more involved.
  • RHachicho
    RHachicho Posts: 1,115 Member
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    Big bone girls, such as yourself, still shouldn't have any unnecessary flab hanging over their waistlines. Even if your BMI is a little higher, you shouldn't be frumpy. I've seen girls with wider frames who were in fantastic shape, and they looked good, real good. They normally sit on the top end of their optimum BMI range.

    I will always be frumpy from all the weight gain and loss I have done to myself over the years. You have to put into consideration that who lose weight don't end up tight. That doesn't let you know someone's bone structure either. SMH...

    Anyway, I have a thin face, wrists, and ankles. I am not so sure I am big boned.

    Every doctor will use a different tool. My doctor use to use by a waist to hip ratio before the AMA make the BMI scale mandatory but, if you are not hour glass or pear shaped it will say you are at risk. So that doesn't make sense to me as many people who have different body shapes are fine. I am still not at risk according to this tool even at this weight because my waist is 15" smaller than my hips.

    On the other hand, the BMI is sure a tool is something I have to relate too. I am at risk at this weight as both sides of my families suffer from high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and Diabetes when they are overweight to obese; just like the BMI chart states. When they lose weight or stay at a normal BMI range they don't have these diseases. I had Gestational Diabetes with my last pregnancy that has not ever gone into Diabetes II but, I am still at risk if I don't watch it. Since childhood has saved me but, if I would of continued on with my over-eating I would probably be just like my other family members. One of them died from Diabetes in his 50's. Finally, I am of Samoan descent which is another risk. Yay!

    It is too bad they don't take "everything" into consideration. I just don't believe size equals health for everyone. There is just so much more involved.

    Yeah you're right about that body size != overall health marker. That much IS true. Someone who is overweight or a little obese who eats lots of healthy food and exercises regularly WILL be an overall healthier person than someone skinny who sits in front of the tv all day eating tiny amounts of unsatisfying food to stay skinny. However it's also a fact that carrying extra weight is never a positive thing when considered on it's own context. When you isolate your own case YOU would always be healthier at YOUR ideal weight. And though Ideal weight can fluctuate by up to 15% depending on frame size .. no more than that.

    When I first started on this journey I assumed that my ideal weight would be about 225. I have a massive frame right? I was meant to be big right? Well here I am today under 225 and I still have a 40 inch waist. Admittedly the rest of me is starting to look pretty trim. But the gut is still hangin on in there. I think it''s much better to set goals in terms of body fat % and measurements than it is to use weight. Weight as has been demonstrated here is too arbitrary and prone to fluctuation in the individual. However a good place to be is to have a waist measurement that is less than half of your height. For me that would be 37" So I gave myself a target waist measurement of 35" as the point where I will accept my weight. I will also keep an eye on body-fat. I want about 15% region. Definitely under 20% .. Currently 23% or so.

    So yeah don't go deluding yourself. Cos yeah being "ok the way you are" that's YOUR decision. But don't think for one minute that succeeding in losing the weight wouldn't improve your situation dramatically.
  • dedflwrs
    dedflwrs Posts: 251 Member
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    I'm big boned. So much so that I once had a car hit me while in my bicycle and the doctor at the ER felt it necessary to show everybody the X-ray of my huge (yet unbroken) bones. That said, I am very thing but I do have bones jutting in every direction and very pronounced hips, collarbones etc. I think I look wider than other women at my height and weight.
  • FindingAmy77
    FindingAmy77 Posts: 1,266 Member
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    . the actual skeletal structure does not weight that much. even if its on a larger scale. twenty to forty lbs max. I found this
    The myth of being "big boned".



    I think it's very important to put aside all myths and stop trying to lay blame anywhere other than yourself.

    Let's be very clear on this; there is no such thing as "big boned". Studies have shown that the bone size and density of a "big boned" person is almost the exact same as as a "normal" person (being truly "big boned" only accounts for about 10lbs). So if you've been using that as your excuse ....or one of your excuses, it's time to let it go and realize that the reason you are overweight is because you let yourself get that way. Of course there are extenuating circumstances for some; you were raised in an over-weight family and learned bad eating habits before you even knew about them. But the fact that you got overweight and the fact that you've let yourself stay overweight are two completely different things. There might be some extenuating circumstances for how you got to this point... I know there was for me, but there is no excuse for allowing yourself to stay overweight, other than you.

    So now what do you do without the "big boned" excuse? I guess that's up to you, but first you have to understand, admit, and accept that you are the cause of your weight issues. No one else... just you.... Read more here http://rocketsciencedieting.blogspot.com/2010/01/myth-of-being-big-boned.html
  • RHachicho
    RHachicho Posts: 1,115 Member
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    . the actual skeletal structure does not weight that much. even if its on a larger scale. twenty to forty lbs max. I found this
    The myth of being "big boned".



    I think it's very important to put aside all myths and stop trying to lay blame anywhere other than yourself.

    Let's be very clear on this; there is no such thing as "big boned". Studies have shown that the bone size and density of a "big boned" person is almost the exact same as as a "normal" person (being truly "big boned" only accounts for about 10lbs). So if you've been using that as your excuse ....or one of your excuses, it's time to let it go and realize that the reason you are overweight is because you let yourself get that way. Of course there are extenuating circumstances for some; you were raised in an over-weight family and learned bad eating habits before you even knew about them. But the fact that you got overweight and the fact that you've let yourself stay overweight are two completely different things. There might be some extenuating circumstances for how you got to this point... I know there was for me, but there is no excuse for allowing yourself to stay overweight, other than you.

    So now what do you do without the "big boned" excuse? I guess that's up to you, but first you have to understand, admit, and accept that you are the cause of your weight issues. No one else... just you.... Read more here http://rocketsciencedieting.blogspot.com/2010/01/myth-of-being-big-boned.html

    Let me be clear .. Being "Big Boned" is not just about the skeletal structure. Those with larger frames will have larger muscles and larger organs. They are larger people. And therefore their ideal weight IS marginally higher. This is a fact. Calling it big boned does throw people off so I don't blame you for being ignorant in this regard. It's an easy assumption to make. But the fact is how much the bones weight is irrelevant. It's how big they are and therefore how much extra natural muscle and vital mass it accounts for. You are dead right in that it's not an excuse for being fat, however. But it's a genuine phenomena that should be acknowledged.

    Also honestly it doesn't ACTUALLY matter a big boned person will still have just as much difficulty getting to their ideal weight as a normal framed person has getting to theirs. It's really just that their set point is higher.