Are BMI generators a good indicator for your health?
elizabethdzenitis
Posts: 63 Member
Y’all I’m sorry I tried wording my question better but honestly I barely passed English class so it’s gonna have to do.
My friends tell me that I look “petite” and stuff and not a few extra pounds, like I say I am. When I calculate my BMI, ya girl is not in the normal BMI range for my height.
My friends tell me that I look “petite” and stuff and not a few extra pounds, like I say I am. When I calculate my BMI, ya girl is not in the normal BMI range for my height.
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Replies
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BMI is an excellent and valid metric to assess the obesity-related risks of a population. It is not easy to interpret that data for an individual. It is possible to have a normal BMI and have nutrition-related health problems and it is possible to have an abnormal BMI and be perfectly healthy.
Does BMI predict your health? Yes. But it’s not a powerful tool for you; it is a better tool for 100 people like you.12 -
It is a good guide but you have to use a bit of common sense with it. For example a person can have stick thin arms & legs but be carrying fat around their middle and still have a BMI in the healthy weight range.2
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This is where a bro with huge muscles comes in and humble brags that the BMI is rubbish.23
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elizabethdzenitis wrote: »Y’all I’m sorry I tried wording my question better but honestly I barely passed English class so it’s gonna have to do.
My friends tell me that I look “petite” and stuff and not a few extra pounds, like I say I am. When I calculate my BMI, ya girl is not in the normal BMI range for my height.
You mention petite - are you short? BMI can be a poor indicator for very short and very tall people2 -
If you’re trying to figure out a good “goal” weight, it’s an excellent place to start. As you get close you’ll have a better idea of how well it suits you. The “healthy weight” ranges are larger than people care to admit.7
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What is your height and weight now?2
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I don't think it's useful whatsoever. It only accounts for height and weight. It doesn't factor in muscle vs fat mass. Everyone knows muscles weighs more than fat so a heavy set man and a body builder could wind up with the same BMI13
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ChristinaPruitt276 wrote: »I don't think it's useful whatsoever. It only accounts for height and weight. It doesn't factor in muscle vs fat mass. Everyone knows muscles weighs more than fat so a heavy set man and a body builder could wind up with the same BMI
Muscle only weighs about 10% more than fat.
Some fat people love bringing up your point because they feel it helps them deny the fact they need to lose weight.18 -
ChristinaPruitt276 wrote: »I don't think it's useful whatsoever. It only accounts for height and weight. It doesn't factor in muscle vs fat mass. Everyone knows muscles weighs more than fat so a heavy set man and a body builder could wind up with the same BMI
Muscle only weighs about 10% more than fat.
Some fat people love bringing up your point because they feel it helps them deny the fact they need to lose weight.
And some people like to ignore the fact that BMI isn't intended to say ANYTHING about an individual's health. OP, if that's a recent pic of you and your diary is accurate, your friends are right to be concerned. You're not eating anywhere near enough. What is your current weight and height?5 -
In the 80s Special K ran an advert about "can you pinch more than an inch?"
Now, I don't eat or endorse Special K (other cereal is available) but they point they make is useful. I don't know if "an inch" is a good measure, but looking at your body and assessing how it looks, feeling how your clothes fit, is an excellent way of deciding if you want to trim down a bit. Of course I do know people who have dysmorphia and are highly critical about themselves; in these cases your best friend can be your most reliable mirror.
Remember your own words - is BMI a good indicator? Yes, it is a good general indication but it isn't perfect.2 -
ChristinaPruitt276 wrote: »I don't think it's useful whatsoever. It only accounts for height and weight. It doesn't factor in muscle vs fat mass. Everyone knows muscles weighs more than fat so a heavy set man and a body builder could wind up with the same BMI
Not accurate for a (probably male) bodybuilder hardly makes a population measure with a very wide range not a useful guide for the overwhelming majority.
Having outliers does not invalidate it as guideline. I remember when England won the Rugby World Cup and the fact that nearly all the squad were outliers was used to trash BMI. How many people are world class athletes in a power sport?15 -
I think they are concerned that you massively undereatMy friends tell me that I look “petite” and stuff and not a few extra pounds, like I say I am. When I calculate my BMI, ya girl is not in the normal BMI range for my height.
Could this possibly mean that op is under HIM but hunks she has extra weight? Her diary has her eating under 700 calories a day.3 -
I think you have to look at yourself objectively. Do you think you have a lot of muscle (honestly) or are "mostly couch potato" like I was? When I started I was 5'11, 193lbs and pretty lazy. So, yeah, the 27 BMI was an honest representation that I was overweight.
In comparison, I'm 144lbs (20.2 BMI) now and very happy with my weight. Only you can determine what is healthy for you.
Another poster mentioned you've been logging very low calories. Don't do that. Even if you do think you need to lose a few pounds. Slow and steady wins the race. Eat at a minimum of 1200 calories. Eat back half your exercise calories.1 -
ChristinaPruitt276 wrote: »I don't think it's useful whatsoever. It only accounts for height and weight. It doesn't factor in muscle vs fat mass. Everyone knows muscles weighs more than fat so a heavy set man and a body builder could wind up with the same BMI
True, but height and weight can be objectively measured easily, muscle and fat mass less so.
Very few bodybuilders who are decently lean have overweight BMI without also using drugs, I've been lifting for 15 years and I barely maintain 165-170 pounds at 5'10 (not saying I'm the gold standard of bodybuilders)
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BMI is literally your weight divided by your height squared.
It's an excellent estimation tool that works well on the wide majority of the population.7 -
No, I don't think it's a good indicator of health. It's a decent indicator of a "healthy weight" for most people, but health is affected by many things other than weight.3
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If your BMI is over or under you probably need to adjust your diet to get back to the normal range. Its more of a "rule of thumb" type of measurement and not 100% perfect. It is what it is.1
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As an indicator, yes it's useful, but not in isolation.0
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elizabethdzenitis wrote: »Y’all I’m sorry I tried wording my question better but honestly I barely passed English class so it’s gonna have to do.
My friends tell me that I look “petite” and stuff and not a few extra pounds, like I say I am. When I calculate my BMI, ya girl is not in the normal BMI range for my height.
They are an indicator of risk...not necessarily health. You can be a healthy BMI and still be very unhealthy. There is a correlation between risk of certain health conditions and being overweight as per BMI, but it's also not an exact kind of thing.
Also, maybe your friends are concerned because you're not eating nearly enough...4 -
as an indicator of health possibly if taken with other factors.
BMI isn't a measure for health so I have to think that you are wondering other things and since english is not your first language the assumption is you are wondering if you are good at your current BMI...
If you are in the underweight category...no you are not good*
if you are in the healthy weight category...yes you good
if you are in the overweight category...no you are not good*
*as long as there are no mitigating factors putting you there0 -
singingflutelady wrote: »I think they are concerned that you massively undereatMy friends tell me that I look “petite” and stuff and not a few extra pounds, like I say I am. When I calculate my BMI, ya girl is not in the normal BMI range for my height.
Could this possibly mean that op is under HIM but hunks she has extra weight? Her diary has her eating under 700 calories a day.
I don’t write down everything I eat by the way. I don’t have time for that lmao. I go to school so like It’s hard to juggle school life + tracking on this and trying to find the exact brand of a food object and stuff so uhhh ok thanks.3 -
elizabethdzenitis wrote: »singingflutelady wrote: »I think they are concerned that you massively undereatMy friends tell me that I look “petite” and stuff and not a few extra pounds, like I say I am. When I calculate my BMI, ya girl is not in the normal BMI range for my height.
Could this possibly mean that op is under HIM but hunks she has extra weight? Her diary has her eating under 700 calories a day.
I don’t write down everything I eat by the way. I don’t have time for that lmao. I go to school so like It’s hard to juggle school life + tracking on this and trying to find the exact brand of a food object and stuff so uhhh ok thanks.
What are you trying to achieve by using MFP?3 -
elizabethdzenitis wrote: »singingflutelady wrote: »I think they are concerned that you massively undereatMy friends tell me that I look “petite” and stuff and not a few extra pounds, like I say I am. When I calculate my BMI, ya girl is not in the normal BMI range for my height.
Could this possibly mean that op is under HIM but hunks she has extra weight? Her diary has her eating under 700 calories a day.
I don’t write down everything I eat by the way. I don’t have time for that lmao. I go to school so like It’s hard to juggle school life + tracking on this and trying to find the exact brand of a food object and stuff so uhhh ok thanks.
Hmm, I work almost full time and I find time to do basic logging (and to post on the forum
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I doubt you really dont have time to log properly if you wanted to.
back to BMI - yes it is a good indicator of healthy weight (obviously not of all health markers)
Of course, taken in conjunction with the clinical picture - ie of course there are outliers who are extremely muscular or have dwarfism or are amputees - but most of us know - and obviously our doctors can tell - if we are one of the outliers.
Before I lost weight, I had a BMI of 27 (now 23) - I knew and my doctor knew, it wasnt because I was an elite body builder, it was plain old because I was over weight.
Of course same applies for under weight - unless you are an outlier body shape then if your BMI says you are underweight - highly likely you are under weight
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elizabethdzenitis wrote: »singingflutelady wrote: »I think they are concerned that you massively undereatMy friends tell me that I look “petite” and stuff and not a few extra pounds, like I say I am. When I calculate my BMI, ya girl is not in the normal BMI range for my height.
Could this possibly mean that op is under HIM but hunks she has extra weight? Her diary has her eating under 700 calories a day.
I don’t write down everything I eat by the way. I don’t have time for that lmao. I go to school so like It’s hard to juggle school life + tracking on this and trying to find the exact brand of a food object and stuff so uhhh ok thanks.
you realize that most people here go to school/work, have kids, have families, some have multiple jobs, etc. and still have time to log their food - it just needs to be a priority.
why did you join a calorie logging site if the idea of logging calories makes you lmao ??4 -
elizabethdzenitis wrote: »My friends tell me that I look “petite” and stuff and not a few extra pounds, like I say I am. When I calculate my BMI, ya girl is not in the normal BMI range for my height.
What is ya girl's BMI?
Ya girl in the pic don't look like she have no extra pounds!4 -
I hate when I have my BMI checked, granted I am over weight now but when I was at the top end of what my bmi says is a healthy (160lb ish) I looked ill I wasn’t so boney1
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I'm pretty sure the bottom range of my healthy bmi is the weight of my skeleton. Almost 6'2'' strong build you telling me I'd be healty at 140 ? *kitten* outta here... lol1
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Great info about BMI that I never knew, thanks!0
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BMI is not a good indicator of health; it is 1 tool to determine a "healthy" weight for most people.
I'm at the top of my "healthy" weight range and am a competitive powerlifter. BMI doesn't apply very well to me. I'm not a world class athlete, but am more muscular than the average woman my age/size.
There are better indicators of health, like cholesterol levels, fasting glucose, etc.0 -
nickbullett wrote: »I'm pretty sure the bottom range of my healthy bmi is the weight of my skeleton. Almost 6'2'' strong build you telling me I'd be healty at 140 ? *kitten* outta here... lol
seriously?
you don't get that there is a range because some people have bigger large bones aka femur than others...
my range is 118-158....doesn't mean I should weigh 120...
and again BMI is not a measure of health it is a measure of healthy weight...for most.2
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