BMI Vs How you look/feel

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Phill2488
Phill2488 Posts: 97 Member
in Goal: Maintaining Weight
According to the BMI I'm underweight. Only by about 5 pounds, so I'm not extremely underweight, and yet I look perfectly fine. Yes, I'm skinny, but you can't see my ribcage . I feel more energetic, I feel stronger (Cause I've been lifting more) and people tell me I look good. And I do eat (McDonald's is my happy place). So I'm not starving myself everyday.

All this really makes me think that the BMI is B.S
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Replies

  • usmcmp
    usmcmp Posts: 21,220 Member
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    There is a certain point where BMI is a good indication of overall health. Being underweight or overweight has health risks. I'm at a point where even with very low body fat I would be overweight on the BMI scale. I have lots of lean mass. It's still tough on my joints to carry the extra weight, whether it is muscle or fat.

    Being underweight carries a risk of disrupted hormones, suppressed immune system, poor nutrient/vitamin absorption, and deficient digestive enzymes (just to name a few). Although you may be healthy there might be benefits to gaining some weight.
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,372 Member
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    Well it depends a lot on your body frame too.
  • SweatLikeDog
    SweatLikeDog Posts: 272 Member
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    BMI isn't a very accurate measure of obesity if you are muscular. Body fat percent is more telling. If you want to get more meaning out of BMI though, combine it with waist circumference:

    http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health-pro/guidelines/current/obesity-guidelines/e_textbook/txgd/4142.htm
  • usmcmp
    usmcmp Posts: 21,220 Member
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    SweatLikeDog wrote: »
    BMI isn't a very accurate measure of obesity if you are muscular. Body fat percent is more telling. If you want to get more meaning out of BMI though, combine it with waist circumference:

    http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health-pro/guidelines/current/obesity-guidelines/e_textbook/txgd/4142.htm

    I think you missed the part where the OP is underweight. Being underweight means low lean mass and potentially other issues.
  • AggressivelyUnhungry
    AggressivelyUnhungry Posts: 6
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    I have the same problem - going off of BMI, I'm considered to be underweight by a few pounds, but look just fine. For me, it's mostly because of my build and body shape. I have a fairly rectangular shape (compared to most of the female population), and small bones on top of that, so I'm not inclined to carry much weight. However, I'm quite healthy. There are lots of factors that can affect your BMI.

    The bottom line: how you feel is more important than a number!
  • dopeysmelly
    dopeysmelly Posts: 1,390 Member
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    I like to hedge my bets, so I've looked at a range of metrics including BMI, waist/height ratio, waist/hip ratio and also how I feel/look (although I tend to find that is the most subjective so I don't really think about that a whole lot - case in point, my ribcage is pretty lean but my thighs are flabby in spots).
  • MFPUser76223
    MFPUser76223 Posts: 11
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    According to my BMI I'm overweight but I'm felling pretty normal. Guess it's because of muscles...
  • msrolton
    msrolton Posts: 2 Member
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    I was told by a specialt health consultant in singapore to ignore the BMI. Go on how you feel and look. I'm a size 10, BMI says I'm 'just' and mean 'just' healthy. My low BMI says I can lose another 3 stone, 3 pounds. I'd look so unwell! So I'm sticking with where I am.

    As long as you maintain and don't keep losing weight. If you're happy - just enjoy being svelt! :-)
  • neogramps
    neogramps Posts: 79 Member
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    BMI was never intended to be applied to individuals; it was created to look at population statistics across whole countries and how it relates to health. It takes no account of muscle mass whatsoever. If I were to go to the low end of my "healthy BMI", i'd look like i'd been starved for 6 months.
  • bigd66218
    bigd66218 Posts: 376 Member
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    I felt my best at a healthy BMI under 25 happy and full of energy. I still have 33 pounds to go!!
  • RaspberryTickleChicken
    RaspberryTickleChicken Posts: 629 Member
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    I think BMI is a good starting point for goal setting purposes but it certainly shouldn't be the holy grail by any means as it does not take into account a number of important factors:
    • body frame - petite, hearty, athletic etc.
    • body fat weight vs. lean muscle weight - body builders will typically be 'obese' on BMI but their body fat will range in the teens if not lower

    I think as long as one is eating well balanced meals, exercising, and is not exhibiting any fatigue or mental fog, then that is the 'healthy' or 'happy' weight for that person - regardless of what some chart states.

    It's important to keep in mind that any charts & figures nowadays were created back in the 40s & 50s, I don't know any of the widely popular used measures having been updated within the last 10 years. These charts & figures are also based on average people so if someone falls outside of that 'average' the #s will not be an accurate assessment.

    SO just listen to your body, use common sense, & take everything else with a grain of salt. :D
  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
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    Check with a medical professional who can run appropriate tests and scans ..nobody here can say that's OK because we absolutely don't know.

    But it is more concerning to be at the underweight side than the just overweight side
  • marissafit06
    marissafit06 Posts: 1,996 Member
    edited March 2015
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    rabbitjb wrote: »
    Check with a medical professional who can run appropriate tests and scans ..nobody here can say that's OK because we absolutely don't know.

    But it is more concerning to be at the underweight side than the just overweight side

    This. BMI is more likely to be off for athletes, people like poster above who have lots of lbm and low body fat. That being said at one point in HS I would have had a BMI of 18.1 and while I was thin, I wasn't unhealthy. You and your doctor know what's best for you body.
  • nxd10
    nxd10 Posts: 4,570 Member
    edited March 2015
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    5 pounds and you're 5' tall or 5 pounds and you're 6' tall? It's proportional. My kids are both at the bottom end of 'healthy' by BMI, but they're 6'2". 5 pounds under for them is proportionally much less than it would be for someone who is petite.
  • Laura3BB
    Laura3BB Posts: 250 Member
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    Well I think BMI does give us a good indication of where we stand....The definitions of over weight or underweights using BMI are based on long-term deleterious effects on health of our weight....
    Striving for a normal BMI is generally a good idea!
  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
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    Laura3BB wrote: »
    Well I think BMI does give us a good indication of where we stand....The definitions of over weight or underweights using BMI are based on long-term deleterious effects on health of our weight....
    Striving for a normal BMI is generally a good idea!

    for 75% of the population yes it's a goodish rule of thumb

    but 25% of the population being outliers is a huge number of people - people who have more musculature, professional athletes, large frames can be healthy outside the statistical norm of the 19th century mathematician created formula that underpins BMI charts (by the way the guy who invented it in the 1800s said it shouldn't be used on an individual level, it's for population analysis)

    that said again more concerning when underweight than just overweight .. that needs medical confirmation
  • myfatass78
    myfatass78 Posts: 411 Member
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    Mmmm. Last time around I got down to 47.5kg which is still within the healthy weight range for my height. However my ribs were poking out and my periods had stopped.
  • tomatoey
    tomatoey Posts: 5,459 Member
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    rabbitjb wrote: »
    Check with a medical professional who can run appropriate tests and scans ..nobody here can say that's OK because we absolutely don't know.

    But it is more concerning to be at the underweight side than the just overweight side

    agree
  • tomatoey
    tomatoey Posts: 5,459 Member
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    rabbitjb wrote: »
    Laura3BB wrote: »
    Well I think BMI does give us a good indication of where we stand....The definitions of over weight or underweights using BMI are based on long-term deleterious effects on health of our weight....
    Striving for a normal BMI is generally a good idea!

    for 75% of the population yes it's a goodish rule of thumb

    but 25% of the population being outliers is a huge number of people - people who have more musculature, professional athletes, large frames can be healthy outside the statistical norm of the 19th century mathematician created formula that underpins BMI charts (by the way the guy who invented it in the 1800s said it shouldn't be used on an individual level, it's for population analysis)

    this may be true, but i suspect a lot of people who ought to be counted in that 75% think they're in the 25%
  • Packerjohn
    Packerjohn Posts: 4,855 Member
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    tomatoey wrote: »
    rabbitjb wrote: »
    Laura3BB wrote: »
    Well I think BMI does give us a good indication of where we stand....The definitions of over weight or underweights using BMI are based on long-term deleterious effects on health of our weight....
    Striving for a normal BMI is generally a good idea!

    for 75% of the population yes it's a goodish rule of thumb

    but 25% of the population being outliers is a huge number of people - people who have more musculature, professional athletes, large frames can be healthy outside the statistical norm of the 19th century mathematician created formula that underpins BMI charts (by the way the guy who invented it in the 1800s said it shouldn't be used on an individual level, it's for population analysis)

    this may be true, but i suspect a lot of people who ought to be counted in that 75% think they're in the 25%

    I would agree. I've heard the number 85% of the population thrown around as BMI being valid , but directionally the same as mentioned in the post quoted. There aren't that many professional athletes out there.


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