Does anyone else agree that the BMI scale is absolutely ridi

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mrchantele123
mrchantele123 Posts: 51
in Health and Weight Loss
I'm apparently obese.
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  • jgoff3003
    jgoff3003 Posts: 189 Member
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    So am i, i was heaps depressed about and went to my doc and a nutritionist and they both said it is a pile of cow poo as it doesn't take into account muscle mass, ethnic background and other stuff,

    supreme athletes and body builders also get classed as obese in Australia they prevent ppl from being in the army cause they are 'overweight' according to their bmi

    I was 156lbs and it classed me on the end of overweight and it sucked but i am getting normal range and my doctor is now worried!
  • jo_marnes
    jo_marnes Posts: 1,601 Member
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    This really comes down to what is classed as 'obese' and what YOU think 'obese' is. Often they are very different and working out your BMI can really be a wake up call for yourself and your health.

    Yes, BMI is subject to argument and in some cases is not an accurate measure (i.e. for athletes). However, for most people it is accurate enough to judge your weight and determine whether you are healthy enough. All this talk of being 'big boned' etc is generally an excuse for people who do not want to admit they are classed as obese. If it was THAT inaccurate then it would not be a tool that was used by health professionals - and by the way, my dietician uses BMI.

    Only you know the truth as to whether your body mass is fat or muscle, or if there is a different cause for your BMI to be high. If there is a genuine reason, then thats fine, don't use BMI. Otherwise it might be time to wise up and do something about it.
  • digit78
    digit78 Posts: 177
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    I avoid my BMI............ afraid to see where I sit on that scale! Ha
  • lilosmom2003
    lilosmom2003 Posts: 1
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    Im obese & apparently have been since the age of 15. LOL I just kinda avoid the BMI chart all together.
  • Mrs_Hewi
    Mrs_Hewi Posts: 77 Member
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    I am another who is obese according to my BMI. I found it (still find it a little) depressing. I cried for hours the first time i found this out!
    I do agree that it can be a good wake up call for your health though.....
  • kimwig
    kimwig Posts: 164
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    This really comes down to what is classed as 'obese' and what YOU think 'obese' is. Often they are very different and working out your BMI can really be a wake up call for yourself and your health.

    Yes, BMI is subject to argument and in some cases is not an accurate measure (i.e. for athletes). However, for most people it is accurate enough to judge your weight and determine whether you are healthy enough. All this talk of being 'big boned' etc is generally an excuse for people who do not want to admit they are classed as obese. If it was THAT inaccurate then it would not be a tool that was used by health professionals - and by the way, my dietician uses BMI.

    Only you know the truth as to whether your body mass is fat or muscle, or if there is a different cause for your BMI to be high. If there is a genuine reason, then thats fine, don't use BMI. Otherwise it might be time to wise up and do something about it.
    I agree with you.

    I was BMI disbeliever, when I was overweight (177lb for 5 ft 4)I said "it's wrong, doesn't apply to us now", we are bigger people. However I decided to focus on getting to my mid point normal BMI as I know I am not an athlete or have the muscles of a body builder.

    Now I am the mid point, I realize how correct it is. In fact I think I need to be a little trimmer to flatten my stomach. Getting to my mid point BMI took my body fat % to the correct level as well as other measures. I am at the weight I should be (well I have 2 lbs to go). My doctor is very happy that I have got into this range, as it is good.

    I realize now, having been through the journey that we have become somewhat blind to excess weight, overweight became normal, and obese was just someone a little overweight.

    I do not hear from people who are in the normal BMI that they do not believe it. Those overweight or above dismiss it as being wrong, but I think it is important to consider getting within their normal range, and check against other measures.
  • janburnewll
    janburnewll Posts: 1
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    I really agree. My daughter is obese - she is really very overweight to the point where her health is badly affected. She needs to lose at least 5 stone. To hear someone classed in the same category who looks fit and health and well proportioned makes it hard for her to take her condition as seriously as she should. The word 'obese' has a dictionary meaning. To describe someone who is only a bit overweight as 'obese' is indeed ridiculous
  • AnnaleisJ
    AnnaleisJ Posts: 50 Member
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    Well I think it shouldn't necessarily be the only tool you use to track your weight loss but I have certainly found it useful throughout the time I have been tracking my calorie intake. The BMI scale does have its flaws but it gives an indication as to where you are going and should only really be used as a guide and not taken as gospel.

    :smile: :smile: :smile:
  • spacedolphin
    spacedolphin Posts: 3
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    mrchantele: you're not obese. :) BMI doesn't take build and especially muscle mass into account. Here's an example: I'm a substitute teacher and was doing BMI with a P.E. class - the guy who was in the best shape had the highest BMI but a low body fat percentage, while the apparently skinny girls actually had higher body fat (and very little muscle.)

    Of course obese DOES exist - I'll admit I'm obese - but when I was younger and healthy I was still in the 'overweight' category. My mother and sisters, who run half marathons and are clearly healthy, are also technically overweight. BMI is a tool that uses generalizations, and generalizations don't apply to everyone. But it's simple, so a lot of people use it.
  • fuzzymel
    fuzzymel Posts: 400 Member
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    I think that the BMI scale is a useful tool but not the only tool that should be used.

    If you have a lot of muscle then it is not going to be the right measure for you. Have you thought of getting your body fat measured? I had mine done in September and had a body fat of 21% (which is good for a female) however my BMI was 24.
  • kimwig
    kimwig Posts: 164
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    I think that the BMI scale is a useful tool but not the only tool that should be used.

    If you have a lot of muscle then it is not going to be the right measure for you. Have you thought of getting your body fat measured? I had mine done in September and had a body fat of 21% (which is good for a female) however my BMI was 24.
    Your measurements do correlate though as your BMI is is the normal range as is your fat %. So that all seems to match
  • sarahdg
    sarahdg Posts: 1
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    I totally agree - I am very tall with a big bone structure, however if I was the BMI they suggested, I would be SKIN AND BONE! I would look totally anorexic.
    The same goes for the scales that recommend how much you should weigh. A complete joke.
  • kimwig
    kimwig Posts: 164
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    I'm apparently obese.
    Obese is a definition from BMI though. This is a good link for info BMI which explains a lot and helps answer some questions you could have.
    http://www.cdc.gov/healthyweight/assessing/bmi/adult_bmi/index.html
  • Delicate
    Delicate Posts: 625 Member
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    I am a bit lost with BMI i have myself wanting to get midpoint but finding it hard (gah), however i do weights so am possibly thinking i shouldnt be aiming midpoint, between mid to higher.

    Love weights too much to be put off by bmi though!

    my tummy is almost flat, i cant be bad !
  • fuzzymel
    fuzzymel Posts: 400 Member
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    I think that the BMI scale is a useful tool but not the only tool that should be used.

    If you have a lot of muscle then it is not going to be the right measure for you. Have you thought of getting your body fat measured? I had mine done in September and had a body fat of 21% (which is good for a female) however my BMI was 24.
    Your measurements do correlate though as your BMI is is the normal range as is your fat %. So that all seems to match

    Sorry I should have explained further. Other people who had a lower BMI than me had a higher fat percentage. I had a fairly high muscle percentage which was probably keeping my BMI higher.
  • sparklesammy
    sparklesammy Posts: 465 Member
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    well people keep saying that there is no way i am still overweight but according to the bmi scale i am.

    To be honest i probably weigh more than it looks like i weigh, but the bmi scale doesn't take body frame into consideration...I really am big boned!

    But my target weight is right at the top on the normal range. and i think i will look good at that wieght : )
  • mtwd65
    mtwd65 Posts: 51
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    According to the BMI I was spot on before I started losing weight. I'm at the opposite end of the scale, until I was 27 I was underweight. According to some people I was unhealthy and my body wasn't functioning properly. They obviously had never met me.

    You could tell by looking at me last year that I had a couple of kg to lose with a BMI of 23. As soon as I stopped eating a lot of high fat high sugar food and replaced with good food I lost 1kg in a month. Everyone says I look better now that I'm at the low end of 'normal'.

    According to the doctor who initially took the BMI as the measure I should put the weight back on however the recent blood tests show that I much healthier at the lower weight.

    There are people who are obese according to BMI with an acceptable body fat % and there are people with a 'normal' BMI with a high body fat % with all the associated problems. It is only one measure and not designed to look at individuals it is a population measure that shows that 90% of people will be within this range if they are not over or under weight.
  • arewethereyet
    arewethereyet Posts: 18,702 Member
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    that was the catalyst for my new lifestyle......didn't like being called obese!!

    I was looking at pictures of family and neighbors from 40 yrs ago or so and there was one girl who was 200 lbs. Everyone else was a healthy weight...........

    Now all the kids are running around outside playing tag, at the beach, running down the street screeming ROVER ROVER or MOTHER MAY I and skipping rope

    The parents? Holding Lucky Strikes and Highballs...........
  • IdleJack
    IdleJack Posts: 16
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    I've never followed the BMI scale; whenever I've trained I've always used body fat percentage to gauge my level of success.

    To be honest I personally believe that when you reach a certain weight it's best to start using body fat percentage, tape measurements and whether or not you can get back into those jeans you've been holding onto!
  • Sparksfly
    Sparksfly Posts: 470 Member
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    This really comes down to what is classed as 'obese' and what YOU think 'obese' is. Often they are very different and working out your BMI can really be a wake up call for yourself and your health.

    Yes, BMI is subject to argument and in some cases is not an accurate measure (i.e. for athletes). However, for most people it is accurate enough to judge your weight and determine whether you are healthy enough. All this talk of being 'big boned' etc is generally an excuse for people who do not want to admit they are classed as obese. If it was THAT inaccurate then it would not be a tool that was used by health professionals - and by the way, my dietician uses BMI.

    Only you know the truth as to whether your body mass is fat or muscle, or if there is a different cause for your BMI to be high. If there is a genuine reason, then thats fine, don't use BMI. Otherwise it might be time to wise up and do something about it.


    I was always overweight according to my BMI, from high school through college. Most of the time only slightly...with a BMI of 25-26. Ever since losing 30+ lbs I now agree fully with the BMI scale. My weight is now in the NORMAL range with 19%-20% body fat, and I still think I have a few pounds to lose and tone up.

    Before I started MFP, I really thought the BMI scale was a load of crap. Now I just think people in our society are so used to seeing overweight and obese people, that their perception of normalcy is different than what it was 20 years ago. It's not completely our fault though, clothing sizing and portion sizing keeps increasing and our society has gone right along with those increases.

    I have accepted that getting into a size 6 jeans is not the same goal as it was 15-20 years ago. I am going for a solid size 2 (which is probably what a 6 was 20 years ago anyway).

    Really people need to take a real hard look at themselves and be honest- obese= obese, overweight=overweight, and normal range= A LARGE RANGE -not one size fits all.Unless you are a bodybuilder or super athlete the BMI holds true for our species.

    I always thought being overweight was ok, but its really hard on your body in the long run.

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