Welcome to Debate Club! Please be aware that this is a space for respectful debate, and that your ideas will be challenged here. Please remember to critique the argument, not the author.

Is every single body in the world intended to be within the so-called healthy BMI range?

distinctlybeautiful
distinctlybeautiful Posts: 1,041 Member
edited October 2017 in Debate Club
If a body is not within that range do you assume that person must be doing something wrong?

If a body is not within that range do you feel that person should be doing whatever it takes to get there?

I’m not sure I’m asking these questions in the clearest way. I’ve been rolling them around in my brain for a while now, though, so I figured I’d throw them out as they are and go from there.
«13456722

Replies

  • kbmnurse
    kbmnurse Posts: 2,484 Member
    Heck no. I am not a fan of the BMI charts. My BMI is 28 and I feel great. Exercise 5 x week and eat healthy 80% of the time.
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    It's a good indicator for most, especially most women, who are much more likely to have excessive body fat when a healthy BMI number than to have a healthy body fat percentage when over the healthy range.

    That said, no, I don't think that someone who is active and happens to be 26 or 27 BMI is necessarily putting their health in jeopardy, being a bit overweight isn't that big a deal, especially if you aren't mostly holding the fat around the middle (if you are, it might be more of a concern).
  • Raven_Hawk
    Raven_Hawk Posts: 22 Member
    My understanding is that BMI is not a bad indicator for the average person but is not gospel. There are other tools, such as waist measurement, body fat measure and how does the person look in swim wear. It is a good guide but I am sure, meant to be used with common sense.
  • nvmomketo
    nvmomketo Posts: 12,019 Member
    I think it is a good indicator for the vast majority.

    I agree. It fits most people. If you throw in a waist measurement it would cover most everyone except maybe pregnant women and a few people with extreme health problems.
  • jamesakrobinson
    jamesakrobinson Posts: 2,149 Member
    nvmomketo wrote: »
    I think it is a good indicator for the vast majority.

    I agree. It fits most people. If you throw in a waist measurement it would cover most everyone except maybe pregnant women and a few people with extreme health problems.

    Yeah, waist to height ratio is probably a FAR better health indicator than BMI.